Novel: Unreal Tournament
by Baronic
Summary: Last updated 10 Sept. Edmund nodded. “Remember, we fight our way into the city, and take advantage of the alleys and buildings.” The Truthsayers brought their weapons up to their shoulders, then, like the knights of old, charged the wall of alien fles
1. PART 1 Prologue

  
  
Prologue  
  
There was only one word to describe the people who took part in the Unreal Tournament. Insane. No other word would suffice. It was the year 2303, and the Unreal Tournament by the Liandri Corporation had entered its twelfth year as a legally sanctioned tournament. It was the main crowd pleaser for blood thirsty citizens across the galaxy. Forget wrestling, Unreal Tournament was 'it'. Every single species in the universe took part here, blasting away at each other to win the grand prize and perhaps become the new Unreal Champion.  
  
The Unreal Tournament began when the Liandri Corporation uncovered the Unreal Matrix hidden in one of their mining asteroids. Apparently, the device was used by some long forgotten race. The Unreal Matrix had the power to digitize warriors and teleport them far away. And since the matrix stored a copy of that digitized warrior in its memory core, it also had the ability to respawn a warrior when he was killed. It was the ultimate weapon! One would have unlimited supply of soldiers to throw at the enemy this way, as Unreal Matrix would simply resurrect the soldiers who died in service. Also, every single soldier would survive his first battle, meaning that everyone would be a veteran.  
  
But then a question nagged the researchers at Liandri Corporation. How did a race having such a terrible weapon die out suddenly? In fact, with such a deadly weapon, they could have easily become the masters of the universe by now. The Liandri Corporation found out the truth not long later.  
  
The first fault they uncovered was when one of the test subjects decided to test out the capabilities of the Unreal Matrix. First, the subject was shot in the head with a rifle, killing him instantly. The matrix resurrected him, as good as new. However, he retained his memory, even the pain and agony of death. So the subject was a little disturbed. The researches wrote it off as a minor problem. Then, they decided to be a little more creative. They tied the subject to a rocket and launched him into space. Seconds later, the rigged rocket exploded.  
  
Again, the matrix resurrected the man, but this time, it was not pleasant. The man respawned screaming and bloody. He reappeared in the experimentation room with his right leg missing from the knee down, and his left arm dangling by its tendons at the elbow. Seconds later, the man died of blood loss. And for some reason, the matrix hence forth refused to respawn the man. Apparently, if the matrix respawned you unnaturally, and if you die that way, the digitized you in the matrix core is deleted. And so, the Liandri Corporation lost their first test subject. All experimentation with the Unreal matrix was halted.  
  
The Liandri next chance to test out the matrix came in the form of a volunteer soldier, Captain Graff. He was digitized and teleported alone to the moon of Kelvar V, one of the bases of the Empire Rebels, him, armor, weapons and all. He arrived safely at the destination, and proceeded to single handedly annihilate the rebel personnel there. He was killed when one of the guards crept up from behind him and blew off his cranium with a high explosive shot gun shell.  
  
Immediately, the researchers worked to resurrect Captain Graff, and within a few minutes, Graff respawned back at the laboratory. A quick health check and he was teleported back at the rebel base. Imagine the rebels surprise to see the man they just killed come back from the dead and slaughter them. They fought back with all they had, but the fact that a dead man had returned to kill them all was wrecking havoc on the reb0el morale. Again, Graff was gunned down by machine gun fire. Again he was resurrected and sent into battle.  
  
After the nineteenth times of dieing, Graff was again resurrected at the laboratory. He was perspiring badly and his eyes were a little wild. The Liandri should have taken precautions at that point. But they did not. They were too intent of destroying the rebels. As the health inspectors moved up to give Graff a check up, Graff finally broke. Raising up his assault rifle, he gunned down the five doctors.  
  
Then he proceeded to hunt down the researchers in the lab, mercilessly killing them. All the while, he was grinning, as if he enjoyed the feel of blood and the screams of the dying. The guards were called in, and they tried to stop Graff. However, the constant respawning seemed to have given him supernatural powers as his body took in bullet after bullet. Only after the guards had emptied their entire magazine into Graff did he finally die. The Liandri lost five doctors, eight researchers, and fifteen guards. Five researchers and a total of eighteen more guards were severely wounded.  
  
It was then obvious that the respawning would eventually drive a person mad. It was just as obvious how the aliens who created the Unreal Matrix died out. They respawned themselves to death.  
  
But the Unreal Matrix was a still a very advance technology, and the Liandri could not bear from not profiting from it. Then they had an idea. The Unreal Tournament was born. Lawbreakers and volunteers would be sent here to fight it out. They would be given weapons of all sorts. Their mission would be to kill or be killed. Winners would be awarded a huge amount of cash and freedom from the tournaments. The Liandri limited the respawning of any one character to ten times per day. That meant the person who achieved ten kills or 'frags' first would be the winner. It would certainly postpone the crazed effect of too much respawning, now called the Graff Effect. Not that they cared for the safety of the contestants. All they cared was that the tournament went on.  
  
The contestants knew well about the Graff Effect, but who could resist the temptations of so much money? Volunteers had to sign up for a minimum of three years in the tournaments in order to join. Unless of course, they emerged as the grand champions then they would be set free from the tournament. And because only one team a year could become the grand champion, most of the contestants were indeed veterans. So most of the contestants were more than a little insane. But for the Liandri Corporation, that was good. It meant more publicity. And as the fans of Unreal Tournament increased, so did the income...  
  
Here follows a history leading up to the present time:

2215 New Earth Government formed to battle Skaarj Empire. 2

216 During the '7 Day Siege' the Skaarj surround Earth. In a bold move, NEG commandos destroy the Skaarj mother ship, causing the Skaarj to retreat in disarray.

2219 Following the Human/Skaarj war, many of Earth's cities lay in ruins. When the New Earth Government attempted to assert its authority over these areas, they were confronted by many rebel groups, often covertly financed by the great corporations, which had established bases in the destroyed cities.

2241 "Strider Wars" are won by sacrificing a planetary colony. The colony is disguised to look like a major control center and as it is attacked, is detonated, destroying the planet and the invading Strider forces. The architect of this victory, a young female officer with power beyond her years leaves the military, unable to reconcile her feelings over the incident. Records indicate she joined the Terran Colonial Authority as intelligence officer aboard a Marshal's patrol vessel.

2251 Leaked classified data files indicate that an incident occurred on the outer rim of human space. Ancient artifacts are found, initiating inter- corporation warfare and the reemergence of the Skaarj, eager to claim whatever power the artifacts held. Although most details are still highly classified, it seems that a TCA Marshal was involved in destroying the artifacts and preventing the awakening of an ancient power that could have spelled disaster.

2260 In one of the most daring acts of the mostly covert Corporation Wars, Izanagi Corporation's research facility on Lamdon 3 was raided and destroyed by a strike force from the Axon Research Corporation, despite the protection offered by the elite NEG ThunderCrash force. Axon was able to not only destroy the facility, but also retrieve the advanced plasma ion tank under development there.

2267 In the Green's World Rebellion, three thousand miners revolt against harsh working conditions.

2276 Stolen "Nexus" prototype missiles are recovered by the NEG military in a daring raid on a Hellion convoy on the surface of Taron. This missile type was later used in multiple incidents of colonial suppression.

2283 The infamous AI uprising on LBX-7683 (metallic asteroid in the Erican cluster) resulted in a massive loss of human life. Rebelling against their oppressive and abusive human creators, robotic workers and battle droids took control in a bloody mutiny and claimed their home as their own sovereign world. The previous owners of LBX-7683 decided to regain their profitable mine, and so the Liandri Corporation sent in a small tactical squad set to strike at the very heart of the new robot world. The squad succeeded in penetrating the core of the robots' prime facility, where they destroyed the central AI generators, thus preventing the machines from replicating themselves. Having proved their combat skill to the human victors, a group of the sentient machines were inserted into a stasis matrix and were later reprogrammed for corporate purposes. The leader of the robot force, Xan Kriegor resists multiple memory wipes but eventually succumbs to reprogramming.

2291 'Consensual murder' is legalized, opening the way for a previously underground event - the "Tournament" to go mainstream. Mining companies had long been running small leagues and matches to channel aggression. Liandri Mining Corporation begins to tri-cast the fights. Xan Kriegor is the first champion of the Liandri Tournament, which quickly becomes viewed as the defacto human space championship. Xan was already legendary because of his success in the long-running (but not legally sanctioned) tournaments on the mining worlds. He leads the Liandri Corporation sponsored team - "The Corrupt".

2293 Malcolm - a human - unseats Xan, and becomes one of the "Great" champions of the Tournament. A huge media figure, Malcolm is hailed as the biggest star in human history and is worshipped as a god. His success nets great rewards for his sponsoring corporation, attracting the attention of jealous rivals both in the arenas of the Tournament and in the corridors of power a galaxy away. Xan is returned to the Liandri Corporation for upgrades.

2302 The gene-boosted monster - Gorge - defeats Malcolm in a brutal contest and is named champion of the Tournament. The aging Sniper Rifle (a relic of centuries past) is removed from the Tournament as is "Assault" - a team- based event that forms a part of the competition. Many fans of the Tournament complain at these changes, with some combatants refusing to participate in the new format.

2303 The most anticipated tournament ever takes place, with three former champions (Xan, Malcolm, and Gorge) each captaining a team. Vehicles are introduced to Tournament combat. The Hellions, eager to prove themselves as mercenaries for hire, enter the Tournament in hopes of securing new contracts. Xan has received upgrades and is deadlier than ever. He is also backed by a team of combat droids from LBX-7683. An updated Sniper Rifle is added to the weapon roster, along with several other weapons designed for the larger outdoor combat environments of the new Onslaught and returning Assault events.  
  
Welcome...to the Unreal Tournament...


	2. Malcolm vs Gorge

Chapter 1  
  
"Hello, ladies and gentle men! We have a real hot match cooked up for you today. Who do we have here John? Care to introduce them?"  
  
"With pleasure Erik. We have on the blue team, General Malcolm! Whoa, look at him go, so cool, so classy with his dark glasses. Yes ladies and gentlemen, he is indeed the most skilled fighters of the Arena! Four time running champion indeed. A veteran of the tournament, Malcolm shows the world how its played!"  
  
"Yes John! That's true. Look at the ladies going wild over him. Ha ha. What I would do to be in his shoes. Let's read out his stats shall we? Let's see. General Malcolm! Favourite weapon, the Link Gun. Real nasty one there, the link gun is favoured its rapid fire capabilities, firing plasma bolts quickly to fry the enemy! Lets have a look at his opponent for today shall we-WHOA! Did you see that!?"  
  
"Good lord! I sure did Erik. Presenting, Gorge! With his gene boosted strength and heavy power armor, he sure packs a punch! That pillar nearly broke from his punch!"  
  
"A little off his rocker if you ask me."  
  
"Well I didn't ask you Erik. Gorge has been genetically bred for battle. Raised in a penal colony of misfits, it takes one kind of man to survive the violence, and quite another to revel in it. Gorge has taken into the tournaments like fish into water. Our ex arena champion, he will now duel with Malcolm for the qualifying round! Gorge's favourite weapon is the tri-barrel rocket launcher. A real bang for your buck!"  
  
"Yes John, and this tournament promises to be as explosive as ever. Although even if one of them loses, they will still qualify for the tournament anyway because of their high score. However by the looks of things, it seems that each of them is taking this match quite seriously. God, look at Gorge's muscles!"  
  
"Bet he could toss you across the room without breaking a sweat. For those who are new to this tournament, let me give a quick outline of the match. Today's battle is a death match, where each player will try to kill each other with the weapons scattered across the chosen arena. They will be teleported there randomly, and when killed or fragged, they'll be resurrected there instantly to continue. The game ends when either of the player reaches the score of ten kills first."  
  
"Shut up John, Malcolm is choosing the map. Could it be? Yes! He's chosen the dungeons! They're fighting in the Karlar Dungeons ladies and gentlemen. Yes, here comes the teleporters, and.....THEY'RE OFF!"  
  
As always, Malcolm felt a bit disoriented when he first warped into the dungeons, but that feeling soon passed. He smiled to himself. Gorge would be furious of his choice of the arena. Gorge was a hot headed one. He favoured quick decisive strikes and aggressive tactics. The dungeons were dark and gloomy and had many alcoves to hide in. Gorge wanted it to end quickly. Malcolm would take his time.  
  
Looking to his right, Malcolm spotted an AMSD sitting on top a few crates. Quickly, he jumped and grabbed it, together with some ammunition. The AMSD, or shock rifle, was not one Malcolm's favourite weapon, but it'll do for now. Weapon in hand, Malcolm raced down one deserted dungeon corridor into the next. He knew this place like the back of his hand. Malcolm grinned. Gorge would never know what hit him.  
  
Malcolm stopped at the end of the corridor. He knew that this one would lead into an open room, except for some huge crates, roughly twenty by twenty meters. In the middle would be a Link Gun waiting to be claimed. Then another corridor and another room, same except it held the dreaded Flechette Cannon, or the Flak Cannon as it was more commonly called. It fired dozens of tiny Flechette shards every shot, and it was banned in some colonies for its needless collateral damage. And from experience, Malcolm knew it was very, very painful.  
  
Slowly, Malcolm stepped into the room, AMSD raised just in case Gorge was waiting for him behind one of the crates. And Malcolm was right, Gorge was waiting for him, but not where Malcolm was expecting.  
  
Gorge had leaned against the wall at the entrance from where Malcolm came in, so Malcolm did not see him until it was too late. Gorge slammed into him with all the power of a speeding truck. Malcolm was thrown forward and slammed into the crates. The AMSD flew from his hand. Malcolm heard his opponents almost bull like bellow. "Gorge kill Malcolm!" And then the bullets tore Malcolm apart.  
  
respawn the announcer's could be heard screaming First Blood!  
  
Malcolm respawned, and he quickly took his bearings. This time he was in the opposite corridor entering the same room which he was killed. Malcolm decided not to find another weapon but instead charged in with his Assault Rifle. True, it would take a while for the 5.56mm bullets to get through Gorge's thick armor that he wore, but Malcolm figured that he had the advantage of surprise.  
  
Entering the room, Malcolm found himself staring down the bore of the dreaded Flak Cannon, with Gorge at the other end. "Die bitch!" Gorge squeezed the trigger. Ouch.  
  
respawn  
  
This time, Malcolm was pissed. He had been caught off guard twice. Not anymore. He looked around and found a tri-barrel Rocket Launcher. How convenient, Malcolm thought. Let's see if you like this weapon anymore after today Gorge! Malcolm picked up the launcher and loaded it. He realized he was on the second level of the dungeons. If he was right, the room on his right would be exactly the room above where Gorge was! And if Malcolm remembered correctly, there was a hole in the ground meaning Malcolm would be able to shoot at Gorge from up here!  
  
Malcolm hurried into the next room. And sure enough, there was the hole, and looking down, Malcolm found Gorge hiding behind a crate, waiting with his Flechette Cannon. Not that it mattered. Malcolm was above him, and had a clear shot at Gorge.  
  
Chuckling silently, Malcolm hot loaded three rockets into the rocket launcher's tube and took aim at Gorge's head. "Hey stupid! Up here!" Malcolm yelled.  
  
Gorge looked up with a loud "huh??" The rockets slammed into him and exploded, and Gorge was torn into confetti. Malcolm heard Gorge respawn behind him and whirled around, dodging to the left as he did so. Gorge's Assault Rifle filled the air where Malcolm was with bullets.  
  
Malcolm's first rocket slammed at the wall at Gorge's right, the shock wave throwing Gorge aside. The second rocket landed at his feet, and again Gorge was thrown up this time. The third rocket landed right on target while Gorge was still in the air. Gorge disappeared waist up.  
  
Laughing now, Malcolm jumped down the hole in the ground and landed solidly on his legs on the level below. Quickly, he discarded the Rocket Launcher in favor of his Link Gun. "Got you, my beauty." He said as he loaded in a Link cartridge. As he was doing so, Gorge jumped into the room from the corridor, AMSD in hand. Malcolm panicked as he raised the Link Gun to fire. It did not. The cartridge was not loaded properly. Gorge laughed and opened fire. The blue beam tore off Malcolm's head, and his body crumpled to the ground.  
  
"Right between the eye." Gorge laughed gruffly. And the match went on... 


	3. Edmund Ross

Chapter 2: Edmund Ross  
  
TCA Colonel Edmund Ross and his team of marines were emptying their weapons magazines as fast as they could. The roaring of weapons ached their ears, but they continued to hold the trigger down. Riddled with 5.56 mm of depleted uranium bullets, the Skaarj warrior finally collapsed down. He was dead. Edmund surveyed the city square for anymore hostiles, his finger always near the trigger and decided the area was clear. For the moment. But he was not taking any chances. Hound Team of eight special-ops marines were now down to five because he had underestimated the Skaarj. Never again.  
  
Gesturing, Edmund signaled Ryan and Jakob to take point and shout out if they had enemy incoming. Nodding, the two scouts raised their rifles to their eyes and dashed behind what was the remains of the city fountain. Captain Sud with his flame thrower crouched behind the remains of a hover car to provide support to the two scouts. Edmund and his lieutenant, Lee, stationed themselves opposite Sud at the other end of the city square behind a bread truck to create a cross fire. There were four ways to enter the square, of which three the Skaarj could come charging in any time. The fourth led to the monorail station, where panicking civilians were pushing to get out of the city.  
  
Edmund and his marines were trying to buy them time.  
  
Private Ryan yelled out over the general frequency. "Eight Izarians coming down Path A." Izarians were apelike aliens used by the Skaarj as slaves and cannon fodder. The power staves they carried weren't that powerful against marine armor, but in a group, those power bolts could chew through your armor rather quickly.  
  
Edmund signaled for his men to remain still and hide. The Izarians marched in single file. Edmund waited until all of them were in the square. Then he screamed his command. "Fire! Open Fire!"  
  
Ryan and Jakob opened up with their M32 Duster Combat Assault Rifle. The depleted uranium shells tore through the Izarians like cheese. Sud stepped out of his hiding place with Vulcan flame thrower spewing fire. The sustained incendiary flow barbequed more Izarians. Two managed to escape the onslaught, and tried to make a get away. However, they unwittingly put themselves in Edmunds and Lee's line of fire. Edmund's own Duster Combat Assault rifle tore into the side of one while Lee promptly blew off the head of the other.  
  
As the last Izarian fell, Edmund's rifle clicked. With practiced grace, he ejected the spent ammunition magazine and slammed a fresh one home. The green light at the side of the flashed on as the rifle primed itself. Ready.  
  
"More Izarians coming down Path B and C. They don't look too happy."  
  
Edmund immediately issued a new command. "Ryan, Jakob. Create a choke point at Path B. Don't let them through. Sud, I want you to fry anyone trying to get in via Path C. I'll provide support. Lee, watch out at Path A for any unwanted visitors."  
  
The marines got into position quickly, found some ruins as cover, and opened fire. Edmund pointed his rifle at the furthest Izarian he could see. Sud could take care of the nearby ones better. The rifle bucked against him, and Edmund strained against the recoil. He counted the number of Izarians he killed. One, two , three, four...The command frequency beeped.  
  
"Edmund, how are you and your hound team doing?" said the voice of General Thran.  
  
Edmund continued shooting as he answered. "A little busy right now chief."  
  
"Yeah? Well, quickly finish off whatever you're doing and head down to the space port. We're dusting off."  
  
Edmund almost to forgot to keep shooting. "W-What?! But the civilians, they need more time! Another ten minutes at least-"  
  
"The shit's hit the fan son. You don't have ten minutes. The Skaarj are coming for the big push. We've got to get out of this city before we get ourselves trapped within enemy lines! Disengage, colonel."  
  
Edmund gunned down the last Izarian. Listening, he realized that Ryan and Jakob had also dispensed with their guests.  
  
"What news from the Boss?" Sud asked as he stared out at Path C. Edmund struggled with his moral decision. After a pause, he answered his friend. "We need to buy the civilians ten more minutes. Then we're dusting off."  
  
"Right. Ten more minutes. Shouldn't be much of a problem for-"  
  
"Holy mother. I've got two Skaarj warrior charging down Path A. Repeat. Skaarj, not Izarian." Lee's voice sounded frantic. And it should be.  
  
Edmund cursed. One was hard enough to kill. Maybe if they trained all their fire power on them...  
  
"Shit Cap'n! One more Skaarj and a handful of Izarians coming down Path B!"  
  
Edmund's heart skipped a beat. The general was right. This was their big push. And that meant...  
  
"Sir? I've got two more Skaarj coming down Path C." It was Sud. Edmund cursed some more. Screw, screw, screw! How the hell do you cover all three paths at the same time?  
  
"Follow me!" Edmund yelled. Turning, he ran behind the bread truck he'd use for cover earlier and began to push. "Lee! Help me get this truck to block Path A. Sud, and Ryan, get the hover car and block Path C! Move, move, move!"  
  
"What do I do?" whimpered Jakob.  
  
"Shoot at those bastards at Path B and try to slow them down for god's sake!"  
  
"Sir, the hover car is too small to fully cover the entrance of-"  
  
"Do as I tell you!"  
  
"Oh god. I'm shooting, I'm shooting sir, but they ain't stopping!"  
  
Edmund had just finished getting the truck into position. It'll probably slow down the Skaarj of Path A for a precious half a minute. Like wise, the hover car was also in position, but like Sud had pointed out, it did not cover the entrance of Path C fully. The Skaarj would simply walk around it.  
  
"Hurry, to Path B! We got to finish them quick!" Edmund rushed to Path B with the rest of the team to help out Jakob. "Concentrate fire on the Skaarj! Sud, take care of the Izarians!'  
  
Four M32 Dusters chattered as they delivered depleted uranium shells at the Skaarj. The ferocious combined attack slammed the Skaarj backwards. A lucky burst caught him in the head. Edmund could not help but smile. No doubt all his team mates would try to claim credit for that kill later. If they survived.  
  
Edmund heard an inhuman roar behind him. Quickly, he turned around to see the two Skaarj making their way around the hover car. The Skaarj at Path B were already trying to shift the hover truck. Taking quick aim, Edmund aimed his assault rifle and fire. One of the Skaarj dodged to the left, and the stream of shells missed him by a wide berth. But it struck the intended target.  
  
The hover car exploded in a fiery spectacle. The two Skaarj disappeared with the car. At the same time, his marines had finished dealing with the Izarians. "Hurry, prepare to repel invaders at Path B!"  
  
"Sir, Jakob-"  
"What about Ja-"  
  
Edmund paused. Jakob was lying prone, a power staff sticking out of his belly. His blood wet the pavement. He was not moving.  
  
"Leave him, there's nothing we can do for him."  
"But sir" It was Sud. "I think he's still alive, if we give him first aid-"  
  
"We've got some Skaarj to kill men! Get in position! Now!"  
  
Suddenly, the truck was lifted off the ground and tossed to the side. A Skaarj Lord had joined the two. Immensely huge even for a Skaarj, he looked down at the humans and sneered. "Filthy vermin."  
  
The two Skaarj charged. Everyone opened fire. Edmund had targeted the Skaarj lord but he evaded by leaping into the air. One of the Skaarj fell dead as Sud fired plasma streams into his face. The other fell upon Ryan, who screamed in terror. Lee aimed but dared not open fire in fear of hitting his comrade. The wrist blades of the Skaarj extended and he buried them in Ryan. Ryan gurgled and collapsed. Edmund whirled end fired on the Skaarj, but the bullets could not penetrate his thick armor. The Skaarj leapt away and Lee also fired, trying to keep the reticule on the target.  
  
The Skaarj lord was tangling with Sud. Sud's heated plasma was doing nothing more than aggravate the Skaarj lord. With a punch to Sud's stomach, he sent Sud flying backwards. Edmund screamed in rage as he aimed at the Skaarj Lord, but a blood curdling scream made him turn around. The Skaarj warrior was on top of Lee, and was stabbing him repeated Lee with his wrist blades. The blades came away bloody.  
  
"Get away from him you bastard!" Edmund yelled and raised his rifle. From behind, the Skaarj Lord struck a crushing blow on Edmund's back. Gasping from pain, Edmund fell to the floor. The M32 Duster flew from his grip. The Skaarj Lord's wrist blade extended. Edmund blacked out. 


	4. Trial

Chapter 3  
  
"Let the accused step forward."  
  
The two marines behind pushed him roughly forward. He now stood between Sud and Lee. Both of them had their hands bound. Lee had survived the wrist blades of the Skaarj, but his body will forever retain some of the scars of that battle. Sud meanwhile refused to look at Edmund. He felt betrayed by his commander. He wouldn't be here if it weren't for Edmund.  
  
"Case IA 260787. Edmund Ross. You and your team of marines are accused of insubordination. On the third of January, you and your men were ordered to protect the civilians at the monorail station in the city Alpha Omega. You and your men did well, holding off the Skaarj from three hours. Yet, when you were ordered to retreat, you stubbornly refused. You disobeyed a direct order, and got two of your marines needlessly killed in the process. In fact, your entire squad would have been slaughtered if not for the timely arrival of Bravo Team, who on the way to the Spaceport saw your distress..."  
  
_The Skaarj Lord stood over Edmund as he regained consciousness. His two wrist blades were extended, as he prepared to finish off Edmund. Suddenly, Edmund heard the chatter of an Assault Rifle. The bullets knocked the Skaarj Lord off Edmund. Roaring in rage, the Skaarj Lord bounded out of his Edmund's vision. Part of Edmund wished to pick up his weapon and continue to fight. But he was simply too tired. He couldn't move his legs, his arms. He could only wait and listen...  
_  
"Case IA 260787. Edmund Ross. You are also held responsible for the lives of PFC George, Jack and Nil, who died trying to save your useless hides..."  
  
_Edmund listened.  
  
A Skaarj roar. _

_"Open fire! Open fire! Let em have it!" _

_"Team, concentrate on the Skaarj Lord! Nil, where are my grenades? Bring them up." _

_"Jack here, there's more Skaarj coming down the paths sir!" _

_"You've got to hold them Jack! Command HQ. We need a hot drop here now! We need to extract!" _

_"George, to your left, Skaarj warrior!" _

_"Die scum!" "Got him! Got him! I got him sir!"  
  
"Nil, my grenades?" _

_"On my way captain!" _

_"Jack here, things are getting a little hot! Izarians charging forward!" _

_"Blink!, Go help Jack hold the Izarians!" _

_"Roger that!" _

_"God damn it! Where the hell did that Skaarj Lord go?" _

_"George! Behind you!" _

_"Aaarrrggghhhh..."  
  
"Man down, man down-" _

_"Frag him! Frag that bastard!" _

_"God damn it Nil! I need those grenades! Now!" _

_"Aaa! No! No!..." _

_"Nil! Nil! Come in Nil! Anyone seen Nil?" _

_"Jack here, sir, I can't hold them much longer!" _

_"You've got to hold private!" _

_"My grenades Nil!" _

_"Nil is out sir, the Skaarj Lord took him!" _

_"There he is! There! Behind that bread truck!"_

_ "Well? Open fire! Shoot!"  
  
A Skaarj roar.  
  
"The dropship's here! The dropship's here! Make way, grab Edmund and his comrades. Jack and Blink, collapse into the compound!" _

_"The Skaarj Lord is retreating!" _

_"Collapsing into the compound, aye sir! Come Jack let's go!" _

_"Right! Haha! Good bye Skaarj! Better luck next ti-" _

_"What the!??" _

_"Arrgggh! Captain! Captain! Don't let them get me!" _

_"Blink! What the hell is going on!?" _

_"The Skaarj is swarming Jack under sir! Oh God!" _

_"Captain! Help meeeeeee!" _

_"Shit! They're butchering him!" _

_"Come away Blink! We've got to go now!" _

_"Damn it! Damn this war!"_  
  
"Captain Edmund? Captain? Are you with us?" the voice sounded amused.  
  
Edmund drew in a sharp breath. "Yes sir."  
"And what have you got to say for yourself?"  
  
Here it comes. Edmund spoke aloud, "Sir. Magistrates of the court. I am innocent! I did what I thought was right. Did the civilians not escape? I made an important decision. I decided to buy them time. And I do not regret it."  
  
There was a sharp laugh. "Innocent? You? You, Edmund Ross disobeyed a direct order to retreat, costing lives of five good men because of your stupidity. The sentence is already ready. You, and your men, are sentenced to for four years to the Unreal Tournament!"  
  
"What?!!" it was Sud. "He was the one who disobeyed the order! Not us! Why should we have to punished with him?" Sud shouted, pointing a finger at Edmund.  
  
"He is our captain, Sud. We should follow him. All for one, and one for all."  
  
Sud sneered at Lee. Stupid butt kisser. Yes sir. No sir. Three bags full sir."One for all? ONE FOR ALL? Was he thinking about that when he disobeyed the order? He didn't even tell us about it! He was thinking of himself!"  
  
"That's enough, Sud..."  
  
"Like hell! There's no way am I going to get punished over a crime I did not commit!"  
  
"Oh? Is that so? Guards, take them all away. They're going to the tournaments, courtesy of the Liandri Corporation..."  
  
Two marines hefted him Sud up by the shoulder and dragged him away. Another each grabbed Edmund and Lee and directed them away from the court.  
  
"Damn it! I will not be taken! Damn you Liandri bastards! Damn you Edmund you selfish idiot! Look what you got us into! We trusted you! We trusted you.."  
  
One of the marines knocked Sud out with a rap on the head. The trial was over. They were going to the tournaments. There, they will die a thousand deaths.

**Chapter 4 will be up soon. Working on it. Come back soon!**


	5. Shadow of the beast i

Hello people. Sorry for the late posting of this new chapter. was having my examinations and was also revising the plot for this story. Now that thats settled, i expect to go full speed ahead with my story. Sorry again for the late posting and happy reading. Thanks for all the reviews, they were a great encouragement!

Chapter 4  
  
Edmund and his three ex team mates were shipped to New Earth, the heart of the Liandri Corporation and home to the tournaments. Edmund and his ex marines were allowed to wander, for the Liandri had no fear of escaping off world tournament players. Once you were sent there, you could not get out. Not without the blessing of the Liandri. The Liandri controlled all traffic heading out of New Earth. You could not escape. After arriving there, Edmund, Lee and Sud were separated. Edmund was given a room. Nothing too fancy, just like his old one, not too small, not big and not wasting any inch of the room. Edmund had been in New Earth for one week already. The Liandri said they would send someone to tell him what to do soon enough. Edmund was getting impatient.  
  
Finally, instructions did come. Not in the form of a man, but in the form of a letter. It simply said "Qualification Rounds. Tomorrow. Get ready."  
  
Edmund's eyes bulged with indignation. How was he going to get ready when he knew nothing from the match, except from the few matches he's seen on the holovideos? But perhaps what if that was all there is to know? Grab weapon, find enemy, kill? Quickly, Edmund searched the room and found what he was searching for. Past screenings of the Unreal Tournament. Edmund studied the videos with interest, and as he did, whatever curiosity he had for his ex-team mates conditions vanished.  
  
The night came and went. And a new morning had come. Edmund was well up before then. The tournament was scheduled for nine local time. By eight, Edmund had put on the armor that was given to him when he first set foot in New Earth. It was light, and the color was blue. It certainly did not give his as much protection as his marine armor, so Edmund would have to remember to do more dodging.  
  
In the silence of his room, Edmund slipped on the breastplate and secured it using the strap that went around his waist. Two more straps, from the bottom right of his front, over the left shoulder and to the bottom right of his back, and the other vice versa. Edmund slipped on the almost military issue army boots and the long green beret pants. He noted the many pockets and surmised they were for ammo for the weapons he would find there.  
  
Edmund continued to put on the shoulder guards and the knee guards, and when he was done, he looked in the mirror, for vanity's sake. Not bad. I look like some rugged mercenary for hire, Edmund thought bitterly. Once I was a respectable marine, now I'm a mercenary. Have I really sunk that low?  
  
Edmund stepped out of his room to find a man waiting for him. He was dressed in Liandri Tournament uniform. He looked young, too young.  
  
"Well about time. Hurry up, we've got to make it to the arena. If we're lucky I'll have at least half an hour to brief you."  
  
Oh? Now you want to brief me? Aloud, Edmund muttered the word "okay"  
  
"Oh? A quiet one, are you? Here, turn left. Well, the first match you're in now is a death match, and u need five kills to win. Turn right. And the match will probably be one on one, as this is your first. How does it feel for it being your first? Something like a first battle eh? Or a first date? Boy, I sure don't envy you people up there. Fighting and dieing and.."  
  
The 'briefing' went on. But Edmund was no longer listening. He was composing his emotions. He would stay calm throughout the fight, and not let feelings overrule him. Unlike most players he's seen on the videos, Edmund planned to think rationally and carefully before making a move. He suspected that would be the best way to win. A cool, efficient killer.  
  
Edmund was lead at last to a great door, which was shut tight. Behind the iron doors, Edmund could already hear the cheering of mad crowds. He had seen enough of these tournaments on the holovids. Two opponents at the opposite end of the coliseum, with the teleporting engine in the middle.  
  
"Right, the guy you're going against today is Smasher, an old timer who has been here for three years. He has always tried to enter the tournaments, but has never seemed to make it beyond the qualifying rounds." The young man nudged at Edmund.  
  
"Shouldn't be much of a problem for you right? With your marine background. The crowd hates this guy. He's cowardly for one thing. A real conservative type. That's why he keeps losing the matches that's what I say."  
  
Edmund listened intently. From what he was hearing, Edmund was creating his own conclusions. If this Smasher was so careful, he should be an enemy to be reckoned with, not scorned. This Smasher would not be making mistakes.  
  
There was a loud clang, the sound of gears grinding against gears as the steel reinforced doors opened. Light flooded into Edmund's eyes as sight took his breath away. The coliseum was bigger than he anticipated, there must be hundreds, no, thousands of people out there watching him. They roared and cheered as they waited for Edmund to come out. The announcer began calling for his name.  
  
As Edmund prepared to step out, the young man shouted to be heard above the din. "This is a qualifying round! The one who first scores five kills wins the match! Good luck!"  
  
Edmund nodded and walked through the door way. Instantly, the cheering increased. However, there were the odd few booing, evidently Smasher was not without his own supporters. Edmund walked down the catwalk, trying to look confident and waving a little at the crowds.  
  
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Today's qualifying match will be held at Gael, where Smasher the old timer will face off with Edmund, an ex-marine. This should prove to be an exciting, adrenaline filled match. Gael is but smallest arena we have, square with an elevated catwalk, each fighter must use whatever small crates and pillars to hide and evade the enemy. Often, one turns around only to stare down the muzzle of the opponents Assault Rifle!"  
  
The crowd cheered louder. Edmund could not help but wince. Was this the type of people he was dying to protect as a marine? Bloodthirsty and savage with no sense of decency? What was the universe becoming to?  
  
Edmund walked up and stood within the teleporter, directly opposite his opponent Smasher. Smasher's eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses. His hair was short cropped and mostly white. The young man back there was right, Smasher had seen too many seasons. Smasher wore armor almost identical to his, albeit it was dirty white instead.  
  
For some reason unknown even to himself, Edmund liked and respected this man. I will be just like him. I will stand tall even if I never make it past the qualifying rounds. I will keep dignity and integrity. The Liandri can take their publicity and drama acting all to hell.  
  
Edmund threw a sharp salute. "Good luck sir!" Smasher's white brow's arched upwards in curiosity. In all his years in the tournament, the last thing he expected to look for from an opponent was a salute. So he saluted back.  
  
"You too kid." Smasher smiled.  
  
"LET THE GAMES BEGIN!"  
  
Edmund shut his eyes against the blinding light of the teleporting rays. He felt as if he was about to be torn apart, his limbs stretched and pulled. And suddenly, everything was quiet. Edmund heard nothing, and saw nothing, except for the stars of the galaxy. He felt a moment of bliss. Edmund felt no anger nor sorrow. No joy nor pain. He felt nothing. Then he heard a voice. And he felt fear.  
  
_"Finally, you have come. I have been waiting for you. Edmund Ross..."  
_  
Edmund screamed.


	6. Shadow of the beast ii

This chapter and the one before it were actually one piece, but they ended up being too long, so i broke it up into two separate pieces.

CHAPTER FIVE  
  
Electrifying pain coursed through Edmund's body, causing his body to jerk. His throat was coarse from screaming already. His brain threatened to shut down. Edmund trashed around trying to find a weapon, anything to fight his unseen enemy.  
  
A new wave of pain swept through Edmund. _"You cannot hide from me, Edmund. Accept me!"  
_  
Edmund shrieked in agony. His eyes were forced shut. _This is it then. This is how I die...  
_  
In a last desperate effort, Edmund lashed out with clenched fists. Finally, Edmund's fist connected with something solid. He felt something break under his blow, and Edmund's sense of vertigo stopped. His feet landed on solid ground and the fear passed away from him. His eyes snapped open. He was there. He was in Gael.  
  
Smasher stumbled backwards and landed on his back. The assault rifle fell from his hand and landed at Edmund's feet.  
  
Edmund stared dumbly at his bloodied fist. "What the hell?" Then he remembered what he was here to do. Quickly, he reached down and grabbed for the assault rifle. At the same time, Smasher picked himself up and head butted Edmund in the stomach. The attack did nothing more than unbalance Edmund and throw him against the brick wall.  
  
Edmund's breastplate was smeared with Smasher's blood.  
  
Quickly, Edmund raised the rifle and fired a burst straight into Smasher's head. The stream of depleted uranium shells shattered Smasher's skull, and left him headless. The decapitated body slumped unto the deck.  
  
The announcer screamed "FIRST BLOOD!"  
  
A sixth sense told Edmund to duck, which he did. Depleted uranium shells stitched a trail of destruction on the wall. Still ducking low, Edmund half ran, half dove behind a pillar.  
  
_What the hell is going on? One moment I'm fighting for my life against...Against that thing. Next I'm here in the arena. What the hell was it?_ Edmund had never felt so afraid before. His hands shivered involuntarily. Somehow he knew that whatever he had just encountered a moment before, was not human. And the memory of the experience left him trembling with fear.  
  
Edmund would solve that problem later. For now, he had more immediate concerns. A sudden explosion and shock wave sent Edmund sprawling away from his pillar of protection. He landed roughly on his right arm. Edmund swallowed a scream of pain. Scrambling, Edmund threw himself roughly to the side. A rocket exploded where he lay a moment ago. The shockwave from the explosion unexpectedly increased Edmund's momentum, and for the second time in less that a minute, Edmund smashed against the wall with his right arm.  
  
_ This ends now.  
_  
Dropping unto his knees to steady his aim, Edmund shifted the rifle to his left arm and targeted his opponent, who was busy reloading his rocket launcher. Edmund brushed the trigger lightly. The rifle spat a single bullet.  
  
The bullet pierced through his opponent's forehead.  
  
"AND THAT'S EDMUND'S SECOND KILL!"  
  
Edmund struggled upright, and stumbled forward to hide behind another pillar. There he waited and listened.  
  
Aaron, also known as Smasher, respawned behind a pile of wooden crates. Out of sight of his enemy, Aaron quickly crouched down and listened for any noise that would give his opponent's position away. He pressed himself against the crates, and dared not breathe. He waited a minute, then two. Still nothing. Aaron almost laughed aloud. It seemed he was fighting against a younger version of himself. He wanted to fight guerilla style with the master? He was welcome to try. Aaron slowly looked over the crates.  
  
Edmund lightly brushed the trigger again. Only this time, he was not holding an assault rifle. He was holding a rocket launcher. Edmund fought against the recoil as the tri-barrel rocket launcher fired three rockets in a drunken spiral towards the shadow hiding behind the crates.

Aaron turned around just in time to see the three rockets heading towards him. One rocket went off course, missing Aaron by a wide berth. The other two slammed home. The resulting explosion scattered Aaron's body parts across Gael.  
  
_ Two more to go._ Edmund thought to himself. Slowly, he eased himself back into his hiding place. The blow came like a hammer, and smashed Edmund's head around. Edmund felt his neck snap. Then, Edmund Ross, ex- marine died.  
  
_ Once again, Edmund felt the cold chilly fear. It was there. Edmund could sense its presence. Edmund's mouth moved, but the words were not his. "Who...What are you?"  
  
The being did not answer his question directly. Instead, its voice reverberated inside Edmund's skull. "It is not time yet for you to know, Edmund Ross. It is time for you to fight."  
  
Edmund's lips parted again, and more words came out. "What are you?"  
  
"I am so unreal..."_  
  
respawn  
  
Edmund found himself within arms reach of a Lighting Gun. Edmund took it. He had used it before once in the marines, but he preferred the assault rifle. The voice of the creature continued echo inside his head. I am so unreal...  
  
Edmund screamed in sudden rage. Breaking into a full run, Edmund found himself running towards a pile of crates. A head peeked over it, followed by a rocket launcher. The launcher was aimed at Edmund.  
  
Without breaking his stride, Edmund raised the lighting gun and squeezed the trigger hard. The lighting gun bucked slightly as it released a coil of lighting. The bolt struck his opponent in the torso. Smasher screamed once, then died.  
  
Edmund braked to a halt and whirled around, bringing the lighting gun up to his eye. He sighted his enemy respawning at the far end of Gael. Edmund squeezed the trigger again. The coil of lighting smashed into Smasher's head, removing it from the body. The announcer was screaming.  
  
"ITS OVER! ITS OVER FOLKS! WE HAVE A WINNER!"  
  
Edmund's continued mouthing the phrase over and over again, as he broke out in cold sweat. His hands trembled, and the lighting gun fell from his grasp. "I am so unreal...I am so unreal..."


	7. Voices in the dark

CHAPTER SIX: VOICES IN THE DARK.  
  
The first thing Edmund noticed when he regained consciousness, was that he had a splitting head ache. The second thing he noticed was that he was strapped down in some sort of medical bed. The third, was that he was extremely tired. Every muscle in his body ached, as if he had just sprinted across the planet. He was too tired to even open his eyes.  
  
There were voices which seemed hazy and unclear to Edmund.  
  
"That was incredible. Have you seen anything like that? This subject and his lighting gun. It was as if he had a six sense."  
  
"I have seen it before."  
  
"What shall we do with him? Stacie Liandri will not be pleased."  
  
"I bet. Seven tournament personnel dead and double that number in injury."  
  
"It was incredible, I have not seen anything like it since, since Captain Graff!"  
  
"Yes, the Graff effect. But this one was different. He had not lost his mind. He seemed, possessed."  
  
"Right. Imagine taking on the Liandri security guards with your bare hands. And killing seven! Even a mad man could not have done that. He was definitely possessed."  
  
"And didn't you hear what he kept calling himself? He kept saying, I am so-"  
  
"Silence you fool!"  
  
"S-Stacie Liandri! I did not hear you c-come in."  
  
"Yes, I noticed that! A moment longer and I would have you spilling the secrets of the Unreal Matrix. You never know who is listening."  
  
"F-forgive me."  
  
"Tell me something."  
  
"T-the subjects name is Edmund Ross. An ex marine who was sentence"  
  
"Idiot! Moron! I if I wanted his life biography, I can simply log on to the net! Now tell me what the hell happened!"  
  
"I-I don't know! It seemed like the Graff effect, only he never once respawned. It was a perfect match! Five nil!"  
  
"Indeed. Then would you kindly explain his behaviour?"  
  
"My lady, I would say he was...Possessed."  
  
"Oh, and by who?"  
  
"Well, he kept calling himself-"  
  
"That's enough. There is no trace that such a creature existed, and I refuse to accept it ever did."  
  
"But my lady! The data we found together with the matrix, it clearly states that-"  
  
"Think rationally. What powers could possible cause a universal xenocide, and leave not a trace of their victims?"  
  
"Well, there is the Unreal matrix."  
  
A loud scoff.  
  
"Yes, just the Unreal Matrix, a weapon that would probably grant an empire an unlimited amount of shock troops. Tell me then, how did such an empire get wiped out totally out of the face of the universe without leaving a trace of their existence."  
  
"Erm...well..."  
  
"Tell me, how did such an empire, succumb without so much leaving a trace of civilization on any of the planets we have so far colonized? And wouldn't such a powerful race that wiped out the people who created the Unreal Matrix now be controlling the universe? Is there any trace of such a race?"  
  
"What about the artifacts? The core did mention something about the artifacts that were very familiar to what that Marshal found. The core mentioned that with the aid of certain artifacts, the Enemy was able to summon warriors, that the Kul-"  
  
"Be silent imbecile! That's top secret information! One more word and I swear I'll put you in the tournaments in the 'last man standing' mode."  
  
"..."  
  
"Good. Now let's just say that the artifacts that Marshal John Dalton found are indeed related to the demise of the Unreal Matrix's creators, the official story still stands. The Unreal creators died because of matrix overuse, do you two understand?"  
  
"Yes, my lady!"  
"..."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Shall we terminate the subject my lady? He knows too much, if you ask me."  
  
"I did not ask you. And no, we will not terminate him. The story is that he suffered a variation of the Graff effect, which is he was not used to the effects of first time teleportation. Nothing shall be mentioned about his possession from...you know who. I've got some plans for him."  
  
"Pray my lady, do tell."  
  
"Get this man a sponsor and skip all his other qualification rounds. A man with a perfect score should be given special privileges don't you think? Put him straight into the tournaments. That should boost our ratings."  
  
"Yes my lady, I'll get to it immediately."  
  
"Good, and I want the security around the Unreal core to be increased, and..."  
  
The words faded away from Edmund's mind. Weariness had finally overcome him. Edmund Ross drifted off into a nightmarish sleep. He would awake later, to find reality even worse.  
  
**As you can see, this story is not merely a bloodbath like the game. i'm trying to create a more intricate background behind the scenes. What dark secret is the Liandri trying to hide, and how is it connected to Edmund? What actually happened to Edmund during the teleportation? hopefully, i will be able to pull this off properly. I can only pray the plot of my story is coming out well for the readers**


	8. The Sponsor

**CHAPTER 7: THE SPONSOR**  
  
The next day, Edmund was up and about, having been released from the medical ward. He had been excused from the murder of the seven tournament personnel, as it was officially because of the Graff Syndrome. He had wisely told the Liandri interrogators when he woke up that he remembered nothing of the incident, which was actually true, since he remembered nothing after Smasher had broken his neck and he respawned.  
  
But that was the thing that raised the most questions in his mind. Edmund remembered clearly, the raised butt of the assault rifle even as it slammed down on him. He had remembered the intense pain and agony. He could still hear the sound of his neck snapping under the force of the blow. He had died then.  
  
But somehow, the Unreal matrix had listed him as a perfect score, as if Smasher had never actually killed him. Edmund had respawned once, but it was not listed in the score board. Now and then he felt a little guilty as he walked down the streets of New Earth, as members of his fan club ran around him whooping and cheering. Edmund was the first person in tournament history to achieve a perfect score in the first match, let alone being also the first to be given the privilege of skipping the rest of the qualifying rounds.  
  
The fact that Edmund had lost control himself after the match, instead of frightening the people away, increased his popularity. Edmund had killed seven armed genetically engineered Liandri agents with his bare hands and lived to tell the tale.  
  
Now, Edmund was one of the most eligible bachelors on New Earth. The posters painted him as handsome and rugged. He was a tournament player, yet had the manners of a knight from the days of old. He was strong and smart. And last but not least, he was an ex marine. Which woman could resist a marine?  
  
But Edmund did not care for all that.  
  
He was too intent on finding out what had happened during his first match. What was the thing that had been the only thing in his entire life to fill him with fear and dread? How was it possible that Edmund had scored a perfect match, when Smasher had actually killed him once? And what was the Liandri trying to hide so much that they were worried it would be found out by the public? Was it related to Edmund's experience?  
  
Edmund recalled the debriefing the Liandri officials had given him. They showed him a card, on which was written only one sentence. Edmund immediately recognized it as it was said by the voice of the...thing while he was being respawned.  
  
"I am so unreal."  
  
Edmund had denied he had ever heard such a phrase. The officials said that Edmund kept repeating that line while he was murdering the Liandri agents. Edmund truthfully this time, remembered nothing of it. What had happened to him, both Edmund and the officials asked themselves. Was he at that moment truly possessed? Perhaps he had for a moment lost his mind because of the Graff Syndrome?  
  
Whatever it was, Edmund was determined to get to the bottom of it all. And he knew just who to see. Smasher, also known as Aaron. Maybe he could shed some light as to what happened during the match.  
  
Edmund reached for the open-door button as he prepared to step out of his room, to find Smasher. But the door opened by itself before Edmund could press the button. It was a woman and a man he did not recognize. They were both dressed in navy uniform, with medals all over like an admiral. Edmund guessed they were someone important.  
  
"Hello Edmund. This is Kurt Alexander, a representative from the Axon Corporation."  
  
Axon? What was Axon doing here? And who was the woman, her voice seemed strangely familiar. Kurt offered Edmund his hand, which he took warily.  
  
"Stacie Liandri has told me much about you, Edmund Ross."  
  
Stacie Liandri?! She was one of the voices he heard yesterday. Stacie took Edmund's surprise differently.  
  
"Yes Edmund, I am the head of the Liandri Corporation, and am in charge of the Unreal Tournament. Kurt Alexander wants to have some words with you."  
  
Edmund nodded as if submissively.  
  
_The head of the Tournaments, eh? Well, I'll soon find out your little secret about this Unreal Core. I will find out about this creature that you do not believe exist, and how it managed to possess me, like your officials said when they thought I was asleep. I do believe you are hiding a deep, dark secret Stacie Liandri.  
_  
The man spoke as the trio took a seat in Edmund's small compartment. "I have heard of the name you made for yourself at the tournaments mister Ross. And to think it was your very first match too."  
  
Edmund nodded. "Please, call me Edmund."  
  
"Right. Now, I have reviewed your match, and would like to sponsor you and your team of your choosing, courtesy of the Axon Corp. Stacie has generously allowed you to immediately participate in the tournaments, as in repayment for the Graff Syndrome malfunction in the Unreal Core."  
  
_Indeed. More likely you wished to make more money out of my predicament.  
_  
"Lady Stacie is here today to see that you get the people you desire for your team. When you are ready-"  
  
Edmund had seen enough video clips of other warriors to know who he wanted. "I have the names now, my lady Stacie."  
  
"You do? And who might they be?"  
  
"I want Steven, of the Mailed Fists, Lee and Sud, my ex team mates and Aaron, also known as Smasher, and Rita, of the Swordsworn."  
  
"A strange ensemble you have chosen. Steven is a veteran in the tournaments but has been traded around by team leaders because they were unable to cope with him. Sud and Lee I understand, as they were ex team mates, and they themselves have done well in the qualifying rounds. Then there's Aaron and Rita. Are you sure you want them in?"  
  
"That is my choice, my lord Kurt."  
  
"Hmmm. Aaron might have a grudge on you for dealing him such an embarrassing defeat, and Rita...Well, she's had a hard life since she was just a young girl, growing up in a house full of men. She's been raped and physically abused. She killed her first man when she was eight. And she has had many cases of unprovoked violence against men since then. I ask again, are you sure you want them?"  
  
_They are good. I have seen it with my own eyes. I might have to tame that Rita down a little though. And hope she doesn't kill me the moment she sees me. She's had a hard life, and I'll have to earn her trust.  
_  
Edmund looked at Stacie Liandri.  
  
"So be it then, they are yours to form as a team. And pray tell, what will your team be called?"  
  
A smile slowly appeared on Edmund's face. "We shall be called the Truth Sayers." 


	9. Last Man Standing

**CHAPTER 8: LAST MAN STANDING  
**  
Edmund was waiting impatiently in the strategy room Kurt Alexander of the Axon had prepared for him. It was time to introduce the new Truth Sayers to their new captain. The door to the room slid open, and Lee, Steven, Aaron, Rita and Sud walked in and took their places at the table, ushered by Kurt.  
  
Edmund silently took in what he saw. Lee looked like he used to before they got separated. He was in his full uniform, which looked as if it was just ironed and cleaned. Edmund caught Lee's eye, and Lee smiled and nodded at him.  
  
Edmund's gaze then shifted to Steven and Aaron. Steven was dressed very shabbily, with his shirt tucked out and his pants rumpled. It looked as if he last washed his clothes last month. His face was unshaven and there was a cigarette in his mouth. Steven stared insolently at Edmund.  
  
Aaron sat himself directly opposite Edmund. He gave Edmund a slow nod, a warrior acknowledging another's superior skill. Edmund made a mental note to see him after the meeting. He had too many questions to ask the man. For instance, why did he not speak up if he knew that Edmund had not actually scored a perfect score. Why was he keeping quiet? Edmund also wanted to make sure that there was no bad blood between them.  
  
Rita was dressed in a tight white jumpsuit. The suit hugged her body tightly, and it highlighted her attributes. Her long hair was tied back in a pony tail. If you met her on the streets, you would probably think she was like any other girl. Rita was the merging of cute and beautiful. But her eyes were a different story. It was cold, and hard. She noticed Edmund looking at her body, sizing her up, and she smiled as if daring Edmund to take a try. Edmund had no doubt he would die at her hands if he did.  
  
Sud was an entirely different story. He acted as if he never knew Edmund. He kept himself aloof from the others, and was proud. His leather jacket was unzipped and revealed a white t-shirt underneath. His fists were clenched, and his face seemed to form a permanent scowl. He had changed. He gave Edmund a stare. Edmund started. It was a look of pure hatred. It was something that Edmund was not prepared to receive from his old friend.  
  
When all of them had been seated, Kurt Alexander spoke.  
  
"First of all, let me introduce myself. I am Kurt Alexander, representative of the Axon Corporation here in New Earth. The Axon has agreed to sponsor a team, led by the esteemed Edmund Ross. Surely you have heard of his first ever perfect score in the-"  
  
Steven cleared his throat, then spat unto the carpeted floor. Kurt frowned.  
  
"In the very first match he fought in. Because of this, Liandri has advanced him up the ladder straight into the tournaments. All of you, have been chosen by himself to be part of his team, the Truth Sayers."  
  
"Bah!"  
  
Everyone turned to look at the speaker. It was Sud.  
  
"Why should he be the leader? He's just like me and Lee. Both of us could have easily done what he did. We are all marines. Why the hell should he be the leader?"  
  
Steven leaned backwards and placed his legs on the table.  
  
"Yeah. Why him? I mean, everyone knows the marines are warriors not worth a bloody dime..."  
  
Lee turned to stare at Steven.  
  
"Watch it, pal."  
  
Steven laughed raucously. "What are you gonna do marine boy? Cry for mommy? I've had more tournament matches under my cap than you have women under your blanket."  
  
Lee got up. Sud ignored him and continued.  
  
"Why should we serve under you, Edmund Ross?" He said in his most scornful tone.  
  
Kurt pushed Lee back down unto his seat while replying to Sud. "He's had a perfect match Sud. Can you beat that?"  
  
Sud shot up from the chair and stabbed his fingers at Kurt's chest. "I can do anything, that moron can do and better!"  
  
Edmund decided it was time to speak up. "But the fact still stands that I am leader, and all of you are not! I served under the marines more than Sud and Lee combine, and I created most of the strategies now being thought at battle school. I've studied all the videos if the tournaments that have been held, and I believe that I have a strategy that will make us the winners! All you have to do is to accept me as your leader. Is that so hard to do?"  
  
There was a moment of silence. Edmund almost thought that he had managed to convince the others. Almost.  
  
Then Sud spoke up again. "I would rather die, than serve a man, whom is willing to put the lives of his men on the line for personal glory!"  
  
Lee's turn. "Come on man! Are you still sour about that? Edmund did what he thought was right. He tried to save the people from the Skaarj. Just because he was braver and more willing to do it than you-"  
  
"Screw all that! At what cost?" Sud pointed down at Edmund. "This man let Jakob die when he could be saved! He brought me down to this hell hole!"  
  
Steven guffawed and twiddled with his cigarette. "If all of you marines don't seem to want the other to lead, why not let me?"  
  
Rita shot the man a glance of hatred. "I would hang myself, before letting men such as you lead. Men! You are all the same! All of you want to lead but don't actually know how to do it."  
  
Steven reached out for Rita. "Come on honey, you know I didn't mean any-"  
  
Rita's fist shot forward like lighting, and bowled Steven over. Aaron tried to get up to help, but a chop to the neck left him gasping for air.  
  
Edmund's palm slapped down unto the table. All activity stopped.  
  
"Is that what you want Sud? A match to find out who is most suited to lead? You don't believe I can? Fine! You will have your bloody match! What type?"  
  
Sud smiled victoriously. Everything he did, was carefully planned so it would lead to this. He would defeat Edmund, and prove himself worthy as leader. "Last man standing."  
  
Last man standing, the most ferocious of all Unreal tournaments. Each player was given a limited amount of 'lives'. Every time he died, his life was reduced by one. When his life counter reaches zero, he would be kicked out of the game. The last person remaining won.  
  
"Fine. All of you against me! How many lives each?"  
  
Sud showed five fingers, then closed four. "One."  
  
Kurt spluttered. "What?! Five of you against him, and you give him only one life each? That's not fair! He should at least have three, while the rest of you have one, or-"  
  
Edmund nodded to Sud. "One it is..."

**Oh my god. I did 3 chapters today. So dead tired. But wanted to make it up for the readers who had to wait while i was studying for my tests. Hope you enjoy it! Come back for more, and review please!**


	10. Trial by Blood

CHAPTER NINE: TRIAL OF BLOOD  
  
Edmund found himself staring at a heap of old cars. He was in a junkyard. The junkyard had been chosen as the arena for the 'Last Man Standing' match. In his hand, he held an assault rifle. The match had begun. Five against one, all Edmund had to do was kill them all before any of them frag him. Should be an easy job.  
  
Edmund gulped down his saliva. Who was he kidding? What was he thinking when he accepted the challenge? Well, its too late to go back now. Edmund knew he just had to do his live long job. Fight.  
  
Edmund paused as he mentally sized up his opponents. He would target Steven first, as he would probably be the easiest to kill. Edmund tried to recall what he read from Steven's dossier. He was ambush specialist. He loved hiding in corners until his opponent stumbled across him, where he would blow off his opponents head. Not very warrior-like, but anything goes. What else...Oh, and he loved the Flak Cannon.  
  
Edmund consulted his map, and smiled. There was only one Flak Cannon available in the whole junkyard, and it happened to be just nearby. Edmund made his way past the heap of junk. Careful not to give away his position, Edmund ducked as he made his way to the Flak Cannon.  
  
When he reached there, he prepared his trap.  
  
Edmund removed the grenade launcher attached to his assault rifle, and dumped its contents next to the Flak Cannon. The Flak Cannon was situated on top of a crate, so Edmund generously distributed the grenades around it. Then, he chose a hiding place that would give him a perfect shot at the Flak Cannon, yet did not reveal himself to the enemy. Edmund hid behind an abandoned hover car.  
  
Immediately after he did that, Steven came into view. He saw the Flak Cannon and laughed. He threw aside the assault rifle he was holding. And reached out for the Cannon.  
  
"Steven, leader of the Truth Sayers. Ha ha. I like the sound of that!"  
  
Edmund sighted the grenades with his crosshair. "Glad to hear that Steven!"  
  
Steven whirled, the Flak Cannon coming up. Then he saw where Edmund was aiming the rifle: at his legs. Steven looked down at the grenades scattered all around him.  
  
"Awww, damn!"  
  
Edmund squeezed the trigger. The shockwave of the explosion threw Edmund backwards to land on his back. The fiery mushroom swallowed up Steven whole, and when the fire abated, Steven was no more.  
  
"First Blood!" The announcer screamed.  
  
Edmund pulled himself up. One down, four more to go.  
  
The explosion was felt by both Lee and Aaron, and they both heard the announcer's voice screaming first blood. They looked at each other. Aaron smiled. "How much you wanna bet that was Steven?"  
  
Lee chuckled. He shouldered the rotary chain gun he was holding. "Edmund will pick us of one by one at this rate. Come on, I'll cover you."  
  
Aaron nodded, a rocket launcher in hand. Together, they made their way to the blast site. When they were almost there, Aaron signaled Lee to stop. Half running half ducking, Lee took cover behind some barrels and quickly set up a firing position.  
  
"Go on, I've got your back."  
  
"Roger that." Aaron could not help but smile. He was reminded of his youthful days when he was a marine in the Terran Military. His smile faded. Time for reminiscence can come later. Aaron brought the rocket launcher to his eye, ready to shoot at a moments notice. He entered the explosion site.  
  
Lee continued to watch Aaron's back, his chain gun scanning for targets. Something was not right. He could feel it. He knew his ex captain well. This was easy. Too easy.  
  
Then Lee looked down at the labels of the barrels which he had ignored earlier. It read. "Explosives."  
  
"Holy mother of Go-"  
  
The explosion tossed Aaron suddenly forwards, and he nearly lost his grip on the grenade launcher. Aaron cursed. It was an ambush. Aaron looked up, and caught sight of Edmund standing on top of a pile of junk, looking down at him. He, also held a rocket launcher. There was a spiral of three rockets bearing down on him.  
  
Grunting, Aaron flung himself away from the rockets path.  
  
But he did not land on his feet, instead, one of his legs connected with a cylinder like grenade from the explosion of Steven. It was a dud, which had not gone up with the fiery ball. It tripped Aaron.  
  
Aaron fell forwards even as he accidentally squeezed the trigger for his own rocket launcher. At that time, it was aimed straight at the ground. The resulting explosion blew apart Aaron's torso, leaving behind only his legs.  
  
"Three down and two more to go!"  
  
Edmund whooped in delight. That was when a high caliber bullet tore through his left shoulder. Edmund screamed.  
  
Edmund stumbled off the pile of junk he was standing down and landed on the ground. He spat out dark burnt earth. Edmund covered the hole in his left arm with the palm of his right, willing the pain to stop.  
  
"Aarrghh. Dammit!"  
  
The pain was excruciating.  
  
Edmund mentally recalled the stats of the people he had chosen. Then, he knew who had shot him. Rita. One of the best sharp shooter there was.  
  
_"It is when you are most confident, that you will fail!"_  
  
Edmund started and looked around, searching for the voice. He deemed it familiar.  
  
_ "Don't bother searching for me, Edmund. I am you. Look down."  
_  
Grimacing against the pain in his shoulder, Edmund looked down at the puddle of water. It was his own reflection. Only...only it was not him.  
  
The eyes of the reflection bore into him. The lips of his reflection parted...and spoke. _"I am so unreal..."  
_  
Edmund Ross screamed and stumbled backwards. The old fear returned. "What are you?! Get out! Get out of my head damn you! Get out!" Despite the pain, Edmund clutched his head with his hands. "Get out get out get out get out get out get out..."  
  
A harsh laughter echoed inside Edmund's skull. Edmund roared in pain. "GET OUT!"  
  
A sound to the left. Edmund grabbed for the nearest weapon, Steven's assault rifle and fired blindly. "Get out get out get out..."  
  
The rifle bucked and spat as Edmund fought against the recoil. He shut his eyes as he shot, spraying the whole area with depleted uranium shells. Finally, the rifle choked and stopped firing. It was out of ammo.  
  
The rifle fell from his numb hands. The pain had passed, so had the harsh laughter. Slowly, Edmund opened his eyes. The sightless eyes of Rita stared back. She lay in front of him, body riddled with bullets. Another one down.  
  
Directly behind her, was Sud, and he was holding a high caliber sniper rifle, same as the one Rita had used. He was smiling oddly.  
  
Edmund felt a strange calm fall over him. He picked himself and the assault rifle up and replaced the ammo slowly. Sud raised the sniper rifle. He shook his head almost pityingly. "Too slow, Edmund."  
  
The rifle bucked in Sud's hand, discharging its shell. The bullet went through Edmund's right shoulder, spraying the ground with his blood. Edmund was beyond pain. He ignored it and primed the assault rifle. Sud's eyebrow's arched upwards. He fired again.  
  
The bullet tore Edmund's right thigh, causing him to stumble a little. Edmund brought the assault rifle up. Sud began to panic.  
  
"Die!"  
  
The third bullet struck Edmund in the chest, but he still stood, and the assault rifle was aimed at Sud. By now, Edmund's whole armor was bathed with his own blood. Sud gasped.  
  
"W-What the hell are you??!!"  
  
Edmund aimed. "I am so unreal."  
  
The assault rifle chattered its stream of death. 


	11. Name of the Beast i

**CHAPTER TEN: NAME OF THE BEAST (i)**  
  
"Aaron. Aaron!" Edmund said, running to catch up with him in the corridors. It was the next day, and the Truth Sayers had fully recovered from their last match. They had also begrudgingly agreed that Edmund is the leader. Edmund had beaten them all fair and square. Or so they thought. But Edmund knew the truth. He knew that something was very wrong with him.  
  
_ Edmund opened his eyes to see the Rita lying sprawled dead in front of him. It was more than he could take. Edmund had given up. He had seen enough bloodshed. He wanted to stop. He wanted to die.  
  
Sud stepped out of the shadows holding a sniper rifle.  
  
Edmund thought to himself, "Shoot me! Shoot me now! I give up. I don't want to fight anymore."  
  
But the words that came out of his lips were different. The voice was his, but not the words. "I am so unreal."  
  
Against his will, his hands picked up the assault rifle again and reloaded it. Edmund's inner self screamed in frustration as he lost all control of his body. So it was true. Edmund was possessed.  
  
"No, no. Put the gun down please. I don't want to fight anymore. Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?"  
  
"I am so unreal. Edmund, Edmund. You cannot give up now. You must fight. Your destiny is still bright. Your end is not now. Your purpose is not fulfilled."  
  
"What do you mean you are so unreal? Oh god. Please. I am not your tool! Release me! Let me go!"  
  
"I am so unreal, Edmund. I cannot let you go. If you will not fight, I will fight for you. Do you understand? I need you here, in the Unreal Tournament."  
  
"No, no. Please. Please..."  
  
"You must fight Edmund."  
  
"No...please..."  
  
"Then I will do it for you..."  
  
The first bullet from Sud's sniper rifle struck against Edmund's shoulder. But Edmund felt no pain. He had no longer any control over his body. He was only a spectator in this bloody battle.  
  
"Run! Run Sud. Get away, I'm possessed! Run!"  
  
But his lips refused to obey his command to speak. Instead, his hands continued to prime the assault rifle.  
  
The second bullet smashed through Edmund's thigh. The force of the bullet caused him to stumble as the bullet destroyed his thigh muscles.  
  
"Get away Sud. While you still have a chance! Find another way to defeat me! I don't want to fight anymore!"  
  
Sud began to panic. The third shot struck Edmund's chest. His whole armor was now bathed in his blood. But it didn't matter, for after being teleported back at New Earth, everything will be healed. Or else, the medics would take care of him.  
  
The assault rifle was raised up and aimed at Sud. Sud was visibly shaking.  
  
"W-What the hell are you?"  
  
Edmund's lips moved, but the answer was not his own. "I am so unreal."  
  
The rifle chattered. The hail of slugs tore Sud apart and drove him into the ground. Edmund felt the presence leave, and these were its parting words. "Seek out the Smasher. You will need him. Seek me out"  
_  
"Aaron, I need to talk to you!" Edmund caught up with him. Aaron turned around. Was that just a tinge of fear in his eyes? "Yes kid? What can I do for you?"  
  
Edmund looked around him, "We need to talk...somewhere private. Its very urgent."  
  
Aaron looked disturbed by this. "Right. My quarters is just nearby."  
  
Edmund followed as Aaron stalked down the hallway towards his room. Aaron palmed the door open, and motioned Edmund in. He then closed the door and set it to lock. He turned to his leader.  
  
"That beast told you to seek me out, didn't he?"  
Edmund thought he heard wrong.  
  
"W-What?"  
  
"Him. So unreal. He's back, isn't he?" Edmund grabbed at Aaron's shirt.  
"You knew about this? Since when?"  
  
Aaron swatted Edmund's hands off him, and looked away. "I knew about this creature before you even came. I knew that he had chosen you when I killed you once in the qualification rounds but you instead had a perfect score."  
  
Edmund sat down heavily on Aaron's bunk. "Tell me...everything."  
  
"It happened before you came, about three years ago, when my brother and I, Marx came into the tournaments. We wanted to have a go at the games, but instead got much more than we bargained for. In Marx's first match, he came into contact with the creature in the Unreal matrix. The same creature you came into contact with."  
  
"According to Marx, the creature was not alive, rather can only exist inside the Unreal Tournaments. Marx became quite a star then. No as big as Malcolm or any of the other champions, but almost."  
  
"For a whole year this went on, until according to Marx, the creature told him to seek out the Unreal Core itself, supposedly home of this beast."  
  
Edmund gulped. "What happened?"  
  
Aaron sighed. "I...do not know."  
  
"What?!"  
"The core, Edmund, is one of the Liandri's most guarded secrets. No one is allowed near it. No one even knows where it is. Maybe the Liandri got him, thought he knew too much and killed him, or the beast betrayed him to his death, I do not know. But he disappeared, never came back. That's all I know."  
  
"That's it? The beast told me to seek you out. There's got to be something more. An instruction? Anything!"  
  
Aaron shook his head. "There's only one reason the Beast would want you to find me Edmund, and I fear for its implications."  
  
He leaned forward and whispered softly to Edmund. "I know where the core is."  
Edmund felt his hair stand on end. Did he have to go in search of the core to get this beast off his back? "You do? Where? Tell me!"  
  
"I'm telling you Edmund, no good will come from this. I suggest you run Edmund. Quit the games. They can't make you fight. Escape."  
  
"I...I can't. I can't get my freedom unless I win the grand championship. I cannot run. Where do I go?"  
  
Aaron nodded in understanding. "Fine, I will tell you where the Core is. But on one condition." Edmund agreed. "What?"  
  
"I'm following you. Period. I lost my brother to this thing. I can maybe find out what happened this way."  
  
Edmund considered. He was new to this Liandri world. Aaron probably knew his way around better than he did. Sighing, Edmund agreed.  
  
"Okay. The core is right here. In this very building, at the bottommost level. It's in the basement. I believe the core is there. But the security's bloody tight. And...there's only one main way down there. The elevator."  
  
Edmund's heart sank to his feet. "How the hell are we gonna get down there?" he hissed.  
  
Aaron held up a finger. "I said one MAIN way to get in. But there are others, more secret and hidden and unknown." Aaron whispered surreptitiously. "My brother mentioned something about the sewers Through one of the man holes I saw him go. I have one of the maps for the sewer. There really is a way down there. It's a long journey though."  
  
"As long as we don't lose our way..."  
  
"Then it's all set then. I'll go gear up and we'll get going."  
  
"Gear up?"  
  
"Yeah. We need a shielded helmet so at least if we're seen, they won't know who we are. And we'll need armor and some weapons in case we need to blast our way out. I can get them by pulling some favors."  
  
Edmund considered it for a moment. It didn't seem much different from the covert drop operations he had participated in as a marine.  
  
"Right. Go get the gear. We're gonna pay this... thing, a visit." 


	12. Name of the beast ii

**CHAPTER 11: NAME OF THE BEAST (II)  
**  
Edmund and Aaron trod through the dry underground severs of New Earth, their boots making distinct noises in the dark and quiet gloom of tunnel. The two spotlights attached to the front of his armor gave Edmund a lighted pathway to follow. The armor they both wore was their tournament armor, fully articulated Juggernaut class. The massive armor increased the duo's stature, and enhanced their strength by two hundred percent. Thick ferro fibrous plating meant that it would take a very powerful weapon to pierce through it.  
  
The Magnum handgun Edmund had strapped against his thighs would provide his with extra firepower in a pitch. Edmund raised his M32 Duster assault rifle, using the flashlight slung underneath it to have a look around. Same scenery, a dark empty tunnel with the sound of dripping water always ahead.  
  
Edmund shook his head. The electronic map shown by his helmet's HUD fizzed a little.  
  
"I don't understand Aaron. How on earth did you get these weapons? These magnums and M32 Duster and even that slug shotgun you're holding, they're all standard marine issue. A marine caught without these is a dead one."  
  
Aaron chuckled. "Let's just say that a certain marine owed me for pulling his butt out of the fire once. This way."  
  
Aaron turned left and walked down a new flight of stairs Edmund had not seen before. Edmund sighed, but resigned to follow.  
  
Edmund lost track of the number of turns they had taken already. Left right left, down the stairs, right left again, down yet even more stairs. Its been what? An hour? Still no sign of their destination. Edmund's legs were sore from walking. And he was bored.  
  
"Where the hell are we anyway?"  
  
"In the sewers Edmund."  
  
"Oh really? You don't say. Most observant of you Aaron. Make another acute observation."  
  
"You're noisy."  
  
Edmund laughed out loud. He scanned the walls of the tunnel. "So tell me more about your little brother. Tell me about Marx."  
  
Aaron trudged ahead. "What is there to say? He was hot headed. He was proud. He was good with his aim and could move faster than you could blink."  
  
Edmund nodded. "Yeah? Sounds a lot like Malcolm."  
  
Aaron seemed to stop for a moment. "Yeah...It does. Doesn't it?"  
  
They both walked down another flight of stairs. Aaron spoke up again. "No. He's not like Malcolm. Malcolm is... indifferent. Abstract. My brother was the best thing that happened in my life. We were raised by our father, our mother died in a Skaarj campaign. My father was a captain of the marines."  
  
"He thought us to shoot when we were nine. Marx and I grew up in the world of guns and honor. The moment we were allowed to, we joined the marines together."  
  
"Those were the days, we talked together, we shared everything. We even had the same first crush!"  
  
Edmund smiled.  
  
"We took part in the military campaigns together. We both were promoted to platoon leaders at the same time. Although he was younger than me, I was never jealous with him. I would cover his back, and he mine. We blasted Skaarj together. We smashed Izarians skulls together...When dad died, we joined the tournaments together."  
  
Edmund nodded to the dark. He thought he heard a sniff from his friend.  
  
"I...I loved my brother Edmund. I miss Marx. I would do anything to have him back. When I get to this...so unreal fellow or whatever his real name is, he's going to get a piece of my mind."  
  
They took a turn. Edmund frowned. Was it just him, or did the place seem to becoming brighter a little. Edmund consulted the map.  
  
"When Marx and I reunite, we'll quit the tournaments maybe. We'll go star faring. Travel to new worlds or maybe visit old ones. We'd go fishing. We'll go sailing even maybe, or perhaps-"  
  
"Something isn't right."  
  
They both stopped in their tracks. They found themselves in a huge circular room. Above them was a ventilator fan, and it was spinning, meaning they were probably close to the underground facility where the core was hidden. Edmund frowned. Aaron was the one who spoke what worried Edmund.  
  
"This...circular chamber. It isn't supposed to be here."  
  
Edmund scanned the ceiling with his assault rifle, the flashlight illuminating the huge fan. "How old is this map Aaron?"  
  
"I-I don't know. Years? Decades perhaps."  
  
Edmund shook his head. "Looks like this place isn't so abandoned and unknown as we had thought. There's been some renovations it would seem."  
"A wrong turning?" Aaron's voice came out ringing.  
  
"No. I am sure we are where we want to be. We cannot have possibly taken a wrong step. I was highlighting our path."  
  
"So...we have two choices. Take that tunnel ahead of us, or back the way we came..." Aaron continued to scan the ceiling.  
  
"No...we've come too far to..." Edmund stopped. He shifted his lights to the floor. The beam of his flashlight illuminated the moss overgrown armor. There was a man in it. Or at least that's what he thought. He could not tell the sex of the person just by looking at his bones. Edmund shifted the light around.  
  
"Shit..."  
  
"Huh? What"  
  
"Aaron, shift your lights to the floor. By the walls of this circular chamber, look! We are surrounded by..."  
  
"Bones!"  
  
Edmund continued to scan the walls. That was not entirely true. Some had still a little meat on them. Others look freshly killed, some maybe a few weeks old and rotting. His helmet must have had an inbuilt filter, or they both would have smelt the stench a long time ago.  
  
"It's...it's like a burial chamber."  
  
Edmund shook his head. "This is no burial chamber. This is a slaughter house..."  
  
There was a loud clang, which echoed from above. Edmund backed into Aaron, and there they stood in the middle of the large chamber back to back, weapons searching for a target. They were both silent, ears pricked to listen for anymore noises.  
  
Aaron shifted uneasily. He whispered to Edmund. "Sir? Why not make a run for it."  
  
"No. Later, whatever did might return to pick us off. We deal with it here, now that we are ready."  
  
"Ready? Are we?"  
  
Silence resumed. Edmund scanned the walls with the flashlight for any signs of movement. Aaron checked the canister for his shotgun. There was almost a doglike snarl, again from above. Swiftly, the two armor clad men shifted their aim upwards.  
  
"In the ventilator shafts?"  
"Shhh..."  
They waited. In that moment, all time seemed to slow down. A second seemed like a minute. A minute seemed like an hour. Whump, whump, whump...went the fan. Further off, there was a sound of dripping water that assailed their ears. Edmund strained to listen again for the snarl.  
  
Drip. Drip. Drip.  
  
"Perhaps it has left?"  
"No, I don't think..."  
  
There was a roar, and something huge and almost catlike smashed into them. Something powerful struck him, and Edmund was thrown backwards and struck the wall of the chamber. His armor saved his life. Edmund looked up, and gasped.  
  
It was creature he had never seen before. It was tall, and had two legs and even longer arms. Its face was that of a dog's, and its eyes were bloodshot. It was an animal. Not an alien.  
  
Aaron had also been thrown aside, directly opposite Edmund. They both raised their weapons and sighted their enemy which was between them.  
  
Edmund shouted the warning. "Stop! Crossfire!" With the creature between them, there was a chance that the two warriors might accidentally shoot each other.  
  
Edmund got up and straightened up, his crosshairs never leaving the beast. The creature looked from Edmund, to Aaron, then Edmund again. It pounced. Edmund's M32 Duster roared. Halfway in mid leap, the creature was thrown back by the hail of slugs. Its scream was shrill and high pitched.  
  
It jumped to the right. Edmund shifted his aim. He heard the loud reports of a shotgun. Aaron was also shooting now. The creature scaled the wall, turned, and once again leaped downwards at Edmund.  
  
"SCREEEEEE..."  
  
Aaron's shot gun shell caught the creature in the ribs, throwing it against the wall and away from Edmund. The creature landed in a heap. Edmund bounded over, crushing bones underfoot. He aimed the rifle at the creature.  
  
The doglike face seemed to smile. "It isn't over yet...human."  
  
Edmund started. The creature took the chance. Its fist flew out upwards and struck Edmund in the stomach. The blow knocked the wind out of Edmund and threw him high up into the air. The creature's jaw opened, it was intent on tearing Edmund apart with it.  
  
Another shot gun slug slammed into it, pushed the creature again into the wall. Edmund fell down unto ground. Again the armor saved him from probably breaking a few bones. Edmund had lost his assault rifle, so drew his magnum. Together, Edmund and Aaron pumped shots into the creature.  
Blood splattered the wall behind the beast. Edmund continued shooting, the semi automatic pistol heating up threatening to jam. The beast flailed and kicked. Then finally stopped. Aaron and Edmund held their fire. The creature was down, and dying. It could no longer move. But it could speak.  
  
With its last breath, it spoke softly to Edmund. "I'll...see...you...in hell....Edmund..."  
  
And the creature died. 


	13. Lair of the Beast

**CHAPTER 12: LAIR OF THE BEAST**  
  
"Shit Edmund. What was that beast?"  
  
Edmund stared down at the bullet ridden creature. He shook his head. "I don't know. But it was not a beast. It was a sentient creature for sure. Didn't you hear it talking?"  
  
Aaron raised his eyebrows. "It was talking?"  
  
"Yeah. Wondered how it knew my name..."  
  
Aaron handed Edmund his M32 Duster. "It knew your name? Whoa. You sure about that kid? Maybe you heard me instead calling you."  
  
"No. It was this creature. I'm sure of it."  
  
Aaron nudged the creature. Then paused, and looked at his leader. "You don't suppose that this core thing has something to do with it?"  
  
Edmund shrugged. "Come on, it should be close now. Let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps. Down that passage."  
  
Running down the passage together, Edmund and Aaron soon found themselves in a tunnel instead. They were out of the sewers. Unlit light bulbs lined the wall ceiling. The Liandri were here. They were doing something, but apparently decided to abandon whatever the project was. They reached a locked door. On it was the symbol of the Liandri.  
  
Aaron whistled. "What do you make of this?"  
  
Edmund shook his head. He quickly brought up his map on the HUD of his helmet. The screen glowed green, then the map appeared. He studied it, then shook his head again. "This map must be really old. This door isn't supposed to be here either. The Laindri have been busy."  
  
"Yes. And look, the floor here's halfway tiled. And look again at that. That sticker on the wall. It says left wing. Perhaps they planned to build some secret lab or something here in the sewers?"  
  
Edmund frowned. He wiped away the dust and cobwebs from the lock panel. It was old and cracked. Edmund placed his palm on the panel and waited. Nothing. Not even a beep. "This door has been shut down. That means the Liandri had abandoned their plans for quite sometime. Years maybe. Why?"  
  
"They were planning to convert the sewers into a base? And maybe they stumbled upon something they didn't expect?"  
  
Then it hit Edmund. "That creature! They didn't expect it. It was guarding the sewers. You saw those skeletons. Some of them had Liandri armor. The Liandri stumbled upon the creature and it must have killed their men. They couldn't kill it or didn't wasn't willing to sacrifice any more men, so they locked the creature out."  
  
"Some of the bodies were new and recent."  
  
"The sewers here go up to many places in new Earth. And it has to eat. I'm sure there are many unsolved cases of missing people..."  
  
Aaron nodded. "I'm glad we killed it then. But how are we gonna get past this door?"  
  
Edmund raised his assault rifle. Suddenly, they both heard a gunshot ringing behind them.  
  
Instantly, both Edmund and Aaron whirled around, weapons brought up. The spotlights of their armor shone down an empty passage way. "Aaron. Guard my back."  
  
Aaron nodded. Cold sweat was bathing his face. "I got your back kid."  
  
Edmund turned back to the panel, and fired two shots into it. He then stepped up, and with the help of the Juggernaut armor, he pushed the door open. He could not have possible done it without the armor's strength enhancer.  
  
The room behind the door was empty and unlit. It was huge, and seemed to be devoid of any furniture. There was a door at the other end, and the lock panel was glowing green. Unlocked. Edmund grinned. "All right. Aaron, get in."  
  
Aaron's shotgun discharged. Edmund turned just as Aaron came stumbling in. "We got to leave kid. Now! Go!"  
  
Edmund needn't be told twice. Together, Edmund and Aaron ran towards the door at the other end. Aaron was breathing heavily. "How many are there?"  
  
Aaron shook his head. "You don't want to know."  
  
The door hissed open. The pathway branched into two, left and right. Voices were coming from the right; they had heard the shotgun's fire. Edmund chose the left passage. Heavy boots clanking noisily against the cemented floor, Edmund charged down the corridor. An alarm sounded throughout the installation. Rapid fire gunshots sounded behind, followed by harsh screams. A voice sounded in the public address system. "All Liandri security personnel. The Quagrim have breached the barricade. Head immediately to sector 6 to stop the intruders. I repeat. All Liandri..."  
  
Edmund heard the same chilling call of the creatures, which the Liandri have identified as Quagrim. "Edmund......EDMUND......." He knew then, that the creatures were coming for him. But he did not know why. And why was he the only one who could hear them speak?  
  
"Captain! Wait up!" Edmund looked over his back.  
  
It was Rita, Lee and Steven. They were all dressed in Juggernaut armor.  
"What in the name of hell..."  
Aaron was roaring. "What are you kid's doing here!?"  
  
Steven scoffed. "What do you think granpa? We've been tailing you ever since you entered the sewers. Though now that all hell had broken lose, why bother keeping our presence a secret any longer. Really granpa, I can't see how you were ever a marine."  
  
Rita spoke up. "I was outside Aaron's room. I overheard everything. I told this two about it, and we decided to join up."  
  
"You were tailing us? Why didn't you help out when we attacked by that...Quagrim?"  
  
Rita shrugged. "We didn't have any weapons."  
  
Edmund and Aaron looked down at the assault rifles the trio were carrying.  
  
Lee explained. "We got this from the circular chamber. After you left, we pried this weapons from some of the old Liandri guard's hands. These babies are old no doubt, probably a few years outdated, but they're better than nothing."  
  
Rita jerked her head at Steven. "Though this idiot nearly gave us away when he accidentally fired his weapon."  
  
Steven smiled. Edmund shook his head. "All right. Since you smart alecks decided to tag along, it's time for you to earn your pay. Come on. Move!"  
  
Together, all five of them marched down the corridor. Edmund jogged up to Rita. "Where's Sud."  
  
"We didn't find him in the room captain."  
  
Edmund frowned. They took a turn, and stumbled into a Liandri patrol of eight men heading towards the breach. Edmund's team, the Truth Sayers were quicker to respond. "Have at them!"  
  
Four assault rifles and one shotgun choked. Edmund ran his fire across three targets. Rita downed two. All died instantly without returning a shot.  
  
Rita discarded her old assault rifle and removed a new one from the patrol's limp hands. "Much better." Lee and Steven followed her example. Edmund called to Aaron. "Discard your shotgun, Aaron."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Take an assault rifle. That way we can share ammo if things get too dicey."  
Aaron considered, then threw aside his shot gun.  
"Good thinking kid."  
  
The rest of the journey was uneventful. An odd security personnel or two, which was quickly dispatched by the four men and one woman army. They followed the signs on the walls. To the Unreal Core, it said. Until they finally came to locked door. Edmund placed the explosive charges he had brought along, and stayed back as the explosion blew the door apart and inwards. They charged in.  
  
And found themselves in an empty huge room. Empty except for the a huge round metallic object with hundreds of wires sticking into it, hundreds more computer monitors lining the wall, and a figure standing between them and their objective. It was...  
  
"Xan Kriegor!"  
  
The battle droid whirled around, a shock rifle in its hands. Rita sneered at Steven. "Nice going there, mr.bigmouth." Edmund squirmed. "That's not Xan. It's different."  
  
The battle droid spoke in a computerized voice. "I am defense droid BAP-156S. No one is allowed in the chamber of the Unreal Core. By order of Stacie Liandri..."  
  
Steven laughed nervously. "Ha ha. Er. We are Liandri security. Just making sure everything is alright."  
  
"...All intruders must be annihilated." The shock rifle was brought up.  
  
Edmund shouted an order. "Scatter! Now!"  
  
The Truth Sayers immediately flung themselves away in different directions. The battle droid fired a shock ball where they were a moment ago, and just as quickly fire a shock beam into it. The result was an explosion which sent the five sprawling further than they had intended. Lee was the first to recover. His assault rifle chattered.  
  
The bullets struck the droid. Most of the bullets bounced off the thick armor, only a few managed to pierce it. Sparks flew from places where the bullets found their mark. The droid turned on its heels and fired a shock beam.  
  
The purple beam caught Lee in the chest, and even weighing at least a ton in his Juggernaut armor, Lee was thrown across the room. Lee slammed into the wall and collapsed in a heap.  
  
More bullets struck at the droid as Edmund, Rita and Aaron opened fire together. Steven rushed to Lee's side.  
  
"Steven! No!"  
Steven stopped dead in his tracks and turned. Three shock beams struck him. One at the thighs, two at the chest. Steven crashed against the computers and fell. Edmund thought he saw blood.  
"Keep shooting!"  
  
The droid turned and fired at Edmund. A shock ball raced towards him, then another and another. Edmund cursed, as he tried to dodge the slow moving energy balls of death. But there were too many. A shock beam lanced into a nearby shock ball and exploded. The chain reaction started. The place exploded around Edmund. But he felt nothing.  
  
Edmund found himself on an elevated catwalk staring down at the explosions at the place where he was a moment ago. "What the-"  
  
The droid was just as bewildered as Edmund was at Edmund's sudden translocation. It whirled and pointed his shock rifle up. Then the whole room glowed blue. An electrifying beam arched out of the unreal core, striking the battle droid.  
  
The droid shook, rattled, then exploded, sending armor fragments to every end of the room. Edmund picked himself up shakily. "Status check!"  
  
"Rita here. Clear captain."  
"Aaron here, I'm all right kid."  
  
"Lee here. Oh man. Shaken but okay."  
  
"Steven. Arggh. Damn it. I think I broke a rib."  
  
Then a huge booming voice filled the chamber.  
  
_ "Edmund....."_


	14. PART 2 Prologue

**Ladies and gentlemen. You have just completed PART 1 of the UNREAL TOURNAMENT. Here begins part two of my novelisation. This here's a prologue of PART 2. **

****

**PROLOGUE TO UNREAL TOURNAMENT PART 2**  
  
All attention was given to the core. "D-Did it just speak?" stammered Lee.  
  
Outside, screeching inhuman sound of the Quagrim began to get louder, while the sounds of machine gun shots were getting less. The Quagrim were breaking through the Liandri defense. Aaron looked at Edmund. "You'd better hurry kid. Everyone! Defensive perimeter behind the door."  
  
Edmund looked at the core. "What do I do, Aaron?"  
  
As if in answer, the core began to glow cold and electric, and somehow, alive. The computer monitors reflected the light in dazzling rainbows, that made the Truth Sayers stop in their tracks. Edmund stood with his mouth open, dazzled and transfixed the raw display of power. The core's glow dimmed, then just as suddenly, it flared red, and fingers of lighting arced out from it.  
  
Computers exploded in a shower of sparks, filling the whole chamber with it. A shadow at the door momentarily attracted Edmund's attention. It was a Quagrim. Steven raised his rifle. An arc of lighting from the core struck him from behind. Steven gaped open mouthed, then...disappeared.  
  
Edmund whirled and raised his weapon and let his crosshairs fall on the core. "Let him-"  
  
The core dimmed, then flared again, blinding Edmund temporarily. More fingers of light struck each of the Truth Sayers. Edmund watched helplessly as Rita and Lee disappeared from his sight. A bolt crashed into Aaron. He looked sadly at Edmund.  
  
"Nice knowing you kid..."  
  
"No!"  
  
Aaron disappeared. The pulsing of the core flared brightly. Then the lightings converged on Edmund. The rifle fell from his grasp. His muscles went limp, and he felt himself drifting off into sleep amidst the chaos. A moment later, Edmund was erased from reality.  
  
The Quagrim looked at the core with hatred. "Curse you..."  
  
A huge bolt of lighting crashed into the Quagrim. But he did not disappear. He exploded.


	15. Soun Rill

**CHAPTER 13: SOUN RILL**  
  
Edmund found himself in a state of bliss. He had no longer a care in the universe. He was floating around, there was neither up nor down. There was neither wrong nor right. There was only him. He felt himself leave his body, and he journeyed a spiritual journey. What was bliss? Bliss was neither happiness nor sadness. Bliss was the fine line in between.  
  
He could not see, but yet, he could. In his mind, the knowledge of the years seemed to imprint itself into his mind. Questions he never asked before began to form in his head. Questions like, who was he? What was his purpose in the universe? Then Edmund's life deeds flashed before his eyes. He watched impassively.  
  
He asked himself. Was that all there is? Was war something certain in life? The world war. The Human-Skaarj war. The Strider war. The tournaments. Edmund's concentration turned to the tournaments. He watched as the participants fought and died, and fought again. He watched as the people cheered and jeered at the participants. He watched as the participants won and lost. Up and down, that was the way of life. Or was it?  
  
The presence came. This time Edmund did not shy away from it. He accepted it into his mind, and his thoughts were merged with it. It spoke.  
  
"I have long waited for you."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Do you know who I am?"  
  
Edmund paused. Did he? The thoughts of this being flowed into him. "Yes. Yes, I believe I do. You are the High Templar, Soun Rill. And you are not part of this bliss, this calm."  
  
High Templar Soun Rill laughed. "No, I am not. This bliss you experience is part of the program I asked that the Unreal matrix run. This...calm, is make believe. I created it to clear your mind. I created it in hopes that you and I will be able to make speech without the interference of personal emotion."  
  
Edmund shrugged indifferently. "I came here, because you called. Now I am willing to listen. Speak your mind, High Templar Soun."  
  
The presence seemed to solidify into a shape in front of him. It was the shape of creature he had never seen before. With golden armor and eyes of wisdom. It walked with a grace Edmund had never seen before, and it spoke with a voice seduced and enthralled him.  
  
It noticed Edmund noticing all this. It smiled. Beautiful isn't it Edmund? This was the physical body I once had, me and all my brethren. We were a proud and noble race then. There was not a star system that me and my brethren had not yet discovered. We were old. Very old. But now...now we are all a memory."  
"I am dead. Do you understand that Edmund? I am a shadow of my former self. A wraith. And I am here to warn you so that your race will not suffer the same fate as mine."  
  
Edmund shrugged noncommittally "What does it matter? Kill or be killed. If you kill, you simply live to repeat the cycle. Would it not be easier to simply be killed?"  
  
"Ah. That is what you think, Edmund. But what do the other's think? They would want to live Edmund. It is not their wish to die yet. And because you are their only salvation, though they will never know it, you are responsible for the survival of their species."  
  
"Survival of my species? What exactly are we talking about here?"  
  
"We're talking about a universal xenocide, Edmund. We're talking about an invasion that would make the Skaarj incursion seem like a minor skirmish."  
  
"But why? And by whom?"  
  
"Because they believe that they area a purist race Edmund. They believe themselves as Gods, determining who lives and who doesn't. They are the same race that wiped out mine what seemed like an eternity ago."  
  
"Tell me more...And where are my friends, my comrades? Shouldn't they listen about this too?"  
  
"They are listening even know, Edmund. And I shall do better than tell you, I will show you."  
  
_The Neulor first found the Unreal core, on a desert planet of the Zeta Quadrant. It was situated in what seemed to be the ruins of an ancient civilization, more ancient than even the Neulor. The Neulor excavated the artifact and brought it back their mothership. The Neulor, being space nomads had no home. They had been driven out by their sister race, the Nemri.  
  
The Neulor did not desire to fight the Nemri, their sister race, so they abandoned their homeworld, and have been traveling the galaxy ever since. This caused them to be the best space navigators in the universe.  
  
The artifact was probed and inspected by the Neulor scientist caste. Using whatever data they recovered from the core, they were able to unlock the secrets of it. However, the moment the files were recovered, the scientists reported that the core had emitted a strange transmission, which lasted for only a few minutes. It seemed as if it was calling for someone, or something.  
  
The Neulor immediately hid the artifact and conducted no more probes on it. A decade passed before the experiments continued. They discovered the matrix's ability to respawn people, though with a deadly side effects. The subject would finally be driven insane after years of respawning.  
The Neulor found this piece of information to be of no use to them. They were not a military civilization, and had no intent on universal domination that this core could certainly help provide. But someone else wanted it. The Nemri. In a sudden savage assault, Nemri cruisers laid waste to half of the Neulor fleet, causing the death of millions of Neulor.  
  
The second half of the fleet managed to evade the slaughter by jumping out of the system, bringing with them the Unreal core. The Nemri followed relentlessly. The game of cat and mouse continued, for a whole century, with the Neulor slowly evolving to adapt to the danger. Their ships were converted into fighters and their mothership configured with weapons of destruction. Finally, the Neulor, under the leadership of an elected High Templar deemed it time to retaliate, and with the help of the Unreal matrix launched an assault on the homeworlds.  
  
The Nemri government was overthrown, and the Neulor won themselves a watchful peace. One century later, all that changed.  
  
It seemed that someone had finally responded to the calling of the Unreal Core. They were called the Kulgans. The Neulor found out the truth. The core was actually a device that was planted by these strange alien Kulgans. It was meant that so that once activated by a sentient race, the Kulgans would come in and annihilate them. The Kulgans believed that they were the only beings meant to roam space. They believed in what they called universal purity.  
  
Swift and silent, the Kulgans flagships warped into Neulor space and launched a massive invasion with the intent of wiping out the existence of the Neulor. At the same time, the unreal core, which the Neulor had used to defeat the far superior Nemri was deactivated and refused to respond to the commands of the Neulor. The Neulor were trapped and doomed.  
  
The High Templar at that time was Soun of the Rill clan. He realized that this vicious fate would befall the next race that would discover the Unreal Core. The Kulgans would repeat the slaughter and bloodbath. Partly in vengeance to the Kulgans, partly in sympathy of the next victim, Soun transferred his mind into the Unreal Core, hoping to warn the future discoverers and help them defeat the Kulgans. Soun transferred also all knowledge about the strengths and the weakness of the Kulgans the Neulor had discovered during their short resistance against them._  
  
_ The Neulor were wiped out, and all traces of their existence were erased. But they never discovered the mind of the High Templar which was hidden in the core. They left the system, and also left the core behind, a trap for the future victims_. 


	16. Onslaught i

**CHAPTER 14: ONSLAUGHT (i)  
**  
Grimly, The Truth Sayers stepped up to the teleportation field. They seemed so fey and dark that the Blood Fist members, the Truth Sayers opponents in this round would have felt fear if they could, for the Truth Sayers now had a bigger goal in mind than merely winning the tournaments. They were trying to save humanity. But the Blood Fists could not feel fear. If anything, they were confident that they would win.  
  
The Blood Fists members were not organic beings to begin with. They were battle droids. Created by their creators to kill. Created so perfectly, that they not only killed, but excelled in it. The advantage they had over their opponents was their super computer chips. The advantage the Truth Sayers had over the Blood Fists was that they fought not for themselves but for everyone else. They had no choice but to win.  
  
Edmund watched the opposing team also step up to the teleportation device. The crowd gathered this time was massive. The robots of Blood Fists team were so far the best in the Onslaught match in the tournaments. Their ability to communicate instantly and coordinate their actions were unmatched by any human. However, the Truth Sayers had Edmund, one of the newest rising star in the tournaments.  
  
Edmund recalled what the Templar had said.  
  
The Kulgans are coming Edmund. You must resist them. By the end of this year's tournaments, they will be here. Their aim would be to first kill the winner of the tournament. They have been monitoring your race, Edmund. They know that if what they perceive the best warrior of your race is killed, other resistance will be disheartened and falter. Not only that, it will be a morale booster for their own troops. They have already sent their scouts Edmund. The Quagrim are the Kulgans shock troops.  
  
They will probably teleport their own best warriors to the arena the moment you finish the tournament. I know what you asked. You have been chosen and not Malcolm because I believe that you are the one who is the most suitable to defeat the Kulgans. And so you and your team, the Truth Sayers must win the tournament. You must beat everyone else until you reach the top of the ladder.  
  
Do not despair Edmund. I will guide you in your final battle. If you manage to defeat the best the Kulgans have to offer, they might decide that not to attack you. If you fail? Then the Truth Sayers and all of humanity die with you.  
  
Edmund. You must win the tournaments!  
  
The applause was deafening. The announcer had just finished introducing the Truth Sayers, and he now moved on to the Blood Fists.  
  
"Renegade! No mercy will be granted by this drone as this feature was removed in the last operating system update!"  
  
"Thorax! This robot has been relentless in competition and possessed of a digital immortality that the organics are incapable of understanding; Thorax seeks only one goal. Victory!"  
  
"Widowmaker! One of the few battle drones to be wholly inorganic. Advanced threat detection and onboard evasive logic make this being a force to be reckoned with!"  
  
"Mandible! His programmer thought it would be interesting to have his creation contemplate the meaning of life. Three days and seventy six bodies later, the automaton still lacked an answer but had gained extensive knowledge of human physiology!"  
  
"And last but not least, it slices, it dices, eviscerates and decapitates, sees in the dark and can track you by your DNA just like the girl you stood up on prom night, presenting Rapier!"  
  
Cheers mixed with applause and laughter.  
  
After the debriefing Soun had given them, he had used the Core's energy to teleport the Truth Sayers back to Edmund's room. Steven and Lee were rushed to the medical station. Edmund could only pray that the Liandri doesn't know who the intruders were.  
  
"And the Onslaught match will be held in...Torlan! They're fighting in Torlan ladies and gentlemen. In five...four...three...two...  
  
One. The Truth Sayers spawned in their blue base. Vehicles of all sorts meant for assaulting the enemy base were ready for them to ride. Edmund quickly recalled the specifications of the map. It was a square battle field, more or less, surrounded by high cliffs and mountains. The two teams bases were situated at two opposite corners of the map. In these bases were their Power Cores.  
  
The match was straight forward enough. It was like a giant game of connect the dots. Situated around the map, were various power nodes, which were linked to each other in a specific manner. The objective was to gain control of these power nodes, slowly linking them to the opponent's base. When that was done, the shield protecting the opponents Power Core would be lifted. Destroy the Power Core, and you win the game.  
  
The problem? There were many ways of connecting the power nodes to each base. And each time would be trying to reach the other's Power Core first. You would have to not only destroy the enemy's Power Core but protect yours too. This required an intricate strategy, which the Blood Fists excelled in. They would know every strategy inside out and knew the way to counter everyone of them. Because of this, Edmund knew he had to get his team to do something unexpected.  
  
He quickly shouted orders. "Lee, get yourself a vehicle and take control of the power node north of here. Sud, and Aaron, take the power node east of here. Steven get in that Raptor attack craft and provide air support. Rita, follow me."

Quickly, the team ran to do as their leader told. Rita followed Edmund as he ran up to the weapons rack and loaded up with every weapon he could find. Then, he ran to a nearby Hellbender jeep and jumped in. The Hellbender was a very versatile vehicle. One person would be the driver, one more next to him and control the shock turret, the third riding in the rear, controlling the massive charge up plasma gun.  
  
Edmund shouted to Rita over the sound of the engines revving up, "Get in the back!"  
  
Rita climbed into the back and quickly powered up the rear turret.  
  
"What have you got in mind, lead?"  
Edmund smiled. "We're gonna pay the Blood Fists a visit."  
  
Edmund put the vehicle into top gear, and charged out of the base. He then directed the vehicle towards the Red Base. Rita's voice came back on. "Why are we heading there for? We can't attack their Power Core yet. It's still shielded."  
  
Edmund was happy that Rita was no longer so cold like steel. She had begun to realize that Edmund was not like the men she had grown up with. She respected him for respecting her. "The Blood Fists are computer run. They do everything orderly. We're going to disrupt that."  
  
"Right. Contact! Twelve o clock!"  
  
Edmund saw them too. Two figures making their way to a power node on foot. Edmund charged the vehicle at them. He heard the plasma gun charge up behind him. The two figures, Thorax and Widowmaker turned to face them, AVRIL anti-vehicle rockets held in their metallic hands. "So much for his onboard evasive logic!"  
  
The Plasma cannon discharged. Widowmaker exploded in a shower of sparks and coolant fluids. That left Thorax. He fire the weapon. The explosion almost overturned the Hellbender, and sparks flew in Edmund's face. But he continued to step down on the accelerator. The vehicle smashed into the robot, carrying it until the vehicle crashed into the cliff wall. Widowmaker died.  
  
Alarms rang in Edmund's HUD, warning him of a missile lock. "Get out!"  
  
Rita and Edmund scrambled out of the vehicle just as the missile slammed into it. The Hellbender exploded in a ball of fire.  
  
Edmund drew the shock rifle he had taken from the weapons rack. Rita was carrying a rotary minigun. "You okay?" Edmund yelled at her. She nodded. Edmund looked around for the robot that had fired the missile. He found it. It was a few hundred feet in the air, in a Raptor attack craft.  
  
"Craps. Rita, take cover." Immediately, Rita ran alongside Edmund to hide beneath a clump of trees. The Raptor circled above, daring them to come out. 


	17. Onslaught ii

**CHAPTER 15: ONSLAUGHT (ii)**  
  
"Edmund, we've got to get back out there. Thorax and Widowmaker would have respawned by now, and must be heading here to claim that power node!"  
  
Edmund nodded, large droplets of sweat dripping down his face. Even with the coolant in his Juggernaut armor, Edmund still sweated as the excitement of battle came to him.  
  
"Steven, we've got a Raptor circling over our heads. Bring yours over! We need cover!"  
  
"On it lead!"  
  
"Right. Rita, on my mark, we charge out of here and take down Thorax and Widowmaker!"  
  
"Yessir!" Edmund waited a while. The Raptor began circling to the left.  
  
"Mark!"  
  
Edmund and Rita charged out of the cover of the trees. The Raptor immediately turned to them. The twin laser cannon flared dangerously.  
  
"Run!"

Rita needn't be told twice. They ran. The laser cannon spat bolts of death. One bolt struck Edmund's back, but his armor saved his life.  
  
"Quickly, to the power node!"  
  
Thorax and Widowmaker were already there, about to activate the power node. Edmund jumped the last few meters, slamming into Thorax. Thorax whirled and threw Edmund aside. Edmund raised his shock rifle and fired. The shock beam knocked Thorax back. Rita's rotary minigun meanwhile drilled holes into Widowmaker. Widowmaker turned and fired his Flak Cannon.  
  
Pieces of white hot metal tore into Rita. She screamed in pain and dropped. Edmund shifted his aim and fired several shock beams towards Widowmaker. None of them could hit the now swift dodging robot. A shadow descended upon Edmund. He looked up in dread. The Raptor descended rapidly towards him, then darkness.  
  
"Pan Cake! Blue power node under construction!" came the announcer's voice.  
  
Edmund found himself respawned next to Rita back at Blue Base. Steven's voice came on the comm line.  
  
"Air threat neutralized! Ha ha ha. Did you see how that Raptor blow up? Say, where are you lead? I can't see you."  
  
Edmund quickly stocked up on ammo and weapons. "Rita and I are back at the Blue Base."  
  
"Blue Base? I thought you were...ah, I see."  
  
"Lead? Lee here. Northern power node is ours. No sign of the enemy."  
  
"Aaron here! Eastern power node is ours, but I don't know for how long! Sud and I are holding them off barely in this Goliath heavy tank! We're being overrun!"  
  
Edmund quickly considered his options. The Blood Fists were behind in development. A full assault now might just rout them. "Steven, help out Aaron and Sud. Keep the Blood Fists in place."  
  
"Roger chief."  
  
"Lee, I want you to go claim the next power node. That will open up the shield of the Red Power Core!"  
  
"Right!"  
  
"Come on Rita, to the Red Base!"  
  
Edmund climbed into the small Manta hover bike. He turned to Rita. And blushed at what he was about to suggest. He hoped Rita wouldn't kill him.  
  
"Get in the back."Rita's eyebrow's shot upwards. She crossed her arms. "That's a one man vehicle. We can't possibly fit."  
  
"There's no other vehicle for you. We'll have to squeeze."  
Rita laughed. "All right. But I'm driving."  
  
The hover bike powered and sped across the battlefield. Edmund tried his best to concentrate on the match on not think of the beautiful, exotic, gorgeous, charming...No! Concentrate Edmund! The fate of humanity is in your hands!  
  
The hover bike shook from a nearby explosion. Another enemy Raptor was back up in the air, and its missiles slammed into the ground all around Edmund. Edmund cursed. His comm. Link crackled and a robotic voice spoke to him.  
  
"Edmund, Rapier here. Come out come out to play, Edmund!"  
  
"Hold on to my waist Edmund! But get carried away and I'll kill you when we're done with this match, mankind's sole savior or not!"  
  
Edmund grasped at Rita's waist. The hover bike accelerated with the Raptor close behind, lasers and missiles bathing the ground behind them.  
  
"Lee here, power node secure!"  
  
Edmund had barely acknowledge it when the Raptor suddenly broke off his attack. It flew away, angled to the north. Edmund urged Rita on.  
  
"Faster! Rapier is after Lee! We got to destroy the Power Core before Rapier gets to him!"  
  
"Right!"  
  
Lee was waiting beside the power node for more instructions when the Raptor arrived. Quickly, he drew a Lighting Gun from the nearby weapons rack. He dodged left just as the laser bolts scorched the earth where he stood. Lee took aim and fired. The lighting gun bucked as it unleashed a coil of lighting at the Raptor.  
  
The bolt struck the Raptor at the side. Fire belched from the wound as the Raptor spinned uncontrollably. Lee took aim again. The Raptor steadied itself and let loose a missile just as Lee fired.  
  
The Raptor lurched from this new hurt, belched more smoke and fire, and then crashed to the ground in a blossoming explosion. The missile barely missed Lee, striking the ground beside him. The shock wave threw him aside and into a tree trunk. Lee collapsed to the ground, and spat blood.  
  
He looked up.  
  
Unbelievably, Rapier had survived the crash. In his hand he held a weapon that sent a shiver of fear down his spine. A Redeemer mini atomic missile. Upon impact, the touch sensitive missile would obliterate the power node and probably Lee as well, considering how close he was to it. Edmund's voice came online.  
  
"Lee, we're there, opening fire on the Power Core! You've got to buy us another minute!"  
  
Lee disregarded his injuries and rushed towards Rapier. The robot looked at him as if amused. In its electronic mind, it quickly calculated the chances of success of Lee having to destroy him before he fired the missile. The chances came out nil. It waited arrogantly for Lee to come closer, then turned and fired the missile at the power node.  
  
"Damn it, this is going to hurt!"  
  
Lee threw himself into the path of the missile. The resulting explosion obliterated Lee together with Rapier. The power node was saved. 


	18. Onslaught iii

sorry for the long chapter this time guys. got carried away.  
  
CHAPTER 16: ONSLAUGHT (iii)  
  
In a flash of light, Edmund found himself respawned back at Blue Base. Next to him, on his right, Rita appeared. On her right, Steven appeared and cheered. A little further ahead, Sud and Aaron blurred into existence, whooping.  
  
"Yes! Round one is ours!"  
  
Then Lee blurred into existence. Edmund could hardly contain how proud he felt of his friend. Laughing and grinning, he grabbed Lee and gave him a hug. Lee vomited blood on Edmund's armor.  
  
"Holy crap!"  
  
Quickly, the rest of the team rushed forward. Lee collapsed noisily on to the cement floor. Ignoring the blood dripping off his armor, Edmund knelt and raised up Lee's head.  
  
"He okay?" Aaron asked anxiously. The rest of team waited for Edmund's answer. Edmund quickly checked Lee's pulse. Lee's heart was beating fast. Too fast. His face was pale and white like a ghost. Edmund cursed.  
  
"Damn it! The Graff Effect. He must have taken a bad hit before this!"  
  
Rita's hand clasped Edmund's shoulder. "That means we're one man short. Lee can't possibly fight in his condition! And the Blood Fists are undoubtedly already on their way! We have got to leave him behind!"  
  
Edmund nodded. What Rita said was true. They had to get back to fighting. "Steven and Aaron, take Lee into Blue Base and keep him somewhere safe. Rita, get into that Hellbender and rev it up, then wait for me! Sud, you're in charge of-"  
  
"Wait a darn minute! You're going to leave Lee behind!?"  
  
"I have no choice!"  
  
"Those robots will kill him if they get into Blue Base!" Sud pushed Edmund into the wall. Edmund's armor clanged noisily. Rita stopped and turned around. Edmund shook his head.  
  
"Then he will respawn, he'll survive..."  
  
"No he can't and you know it god damn well! He's already suffering from that Graff Effect! Respawning would kill him anyway!"  
  
"The Blood Fists must be defeated!"  
  
Sud stared incredulously at Edmund. Then his facial expression changed to one of disgust and contempt. "My god. You are going to abandon him? Just like you abandoned Jakob!!"  
  
Of course, Edmund thought. Sud did not know what was at stake, he wasn't there with them. Rita seemed about to rebuke her teammate, but Edmund raised his hand to stop her. Sud could not know the truth yet. There was something strange about Sud, something Edmund had never seen before. He did not trust him with the information about the Kulgans.  
  
"Yes Sud. If I have to abandon Lee and everyone else to win, then so be it!! But for now, I'm still your captain! Now get your ass into that Goliath Assault Tank and provide protection for Blue Base!"  
  
Sud raised clenched fists. "Why you little..."  
  
"Do as you are ordered!!"  
  
Sud stopped. His fist was still aimed at Edmund's face. Rita took a step forwards, her assault rifle at the ready. The safety was off. Sud glanced at her, looked at her weapon and remembered her vicious men killing. Sud suddenly felt fearful of this woman. He dropped his hands, and turned to face his captain. "I will remember this...Edmund." Sud turned and stalked off.  
  
Aaron and Steven came out of the Blue Base. "Whoa, did we miss something?"  
  
"NORTH POWER NODE CAPTURED. EAST POWER NODE CAPTURED"  
  
Edmund cursed. The Blood Fists were fast. And Edmund could no longer employ the earlier trick he had used. The robots had underestimated them. They won't do it again. This time, life would be much tougher. And now the Truth Sayers were a man down.  
  
Edmund quickly stocked up on weapons and ammo. The others hurried to the same. Edmund looked around. He caught sight of four brand new Manta Hover Bikes.  
  
"Aaron, Rita , Steven. Get into the Mantas. We're riding them."  
  
Steven eyebrow's went up. "Mantas? They blow up to easily! Their side plasma guns are slowly and their armor is paper thin! We'll die out there!"  
  
Edmund quickly got into his bike. Rita and Aaron did the same. Despite his protests, Steven followed. Edmund answered, "That may be so, but these bikes have got speed, which would make us harder to hit. We'll strike them quick and hard, they'll never know what hit them. Besides, Sud is providing us artillery cover fire. Now, let's ride!"  
  
Edmund felt the Manta hum to life as the hover bike lifted off the ground. Edmund hit the throttle, and the four teammates sped out of Blue Base.  
  
Edmund checked his HUD and spoke into his mike.  
  
"We head eastward to that red power node and recapture it. That will immediately bring down the Red Power Core's shield. Then we immediately attack the base and take it out. Arrowhead formation!"  
  
Immediately, the others took up position. Rita at his right, and Aaron and Steven at his left. Steven's voice came on the communications link. "You do realize that this leaves Sud alone to resist whatever forces the Blood Fists have massed at the northern power node."  
  
"Yes, I do. But I'm quite sure that his Goliath heavy tank will be able to resist the Blood Fists."  
  
"Right. That's as long as Sud doesn't face down another Goliath heavy tank."  
  
Edmund closed his eyes. It was a gamble for sure; a move so irrational that Edmund hoped the robots would not expect and be ready to counter.  
  
Rita's voice came in frantic. "Contact! Two enemy Mantas at twelve o clock!"  
  
At the same time, Edmund's head's up display blared in alarm! Looking at his radar, it flared red, signaling a missile lock on. Edmund swore. "There's a Raptor somewhere in the sky! Look out! Split and scatter and take down those two enemy Mantas!"  
  
Rita's bike veered sharply to the right, its side plasma guns spitting bolts of plasma at what Edmund supposed were the enemies. Edmund had his own problems. Crossing his fingers, Edmund slammed the brakes. The hover biked jerked to a stop. The missile slammed into the ground ahead of him.  
  
"Yes! Ha ha! Missed me!"  
  
Edmund immediately restarted his bike and sped ahead. He could see the two enemy Mantas now. They split up, firing at Edmund's team mates. One went towards Steven and Aaron, the other towards Rita. His HUD identified Rita's opponent as Mandible. Edmund quickly made his decision.  
  
Adrenaline coursed through his body. He brought the bike around to face Mandible's left flank as he zoomed past him. Edmund pressed the trigger.  
  
Plasma bolts slammed into the side of the vehicle. Several bolts smashed into the rider, Mandible. Despite the injuries, Mandible surprised Edmund by not bailing. Instead, he fired his own hail of bolts into Rita. Rita returned fire, but her shots went wildly off their mark.  
  
Edmund watched in horror Mandible's aim went true and melted armor of Rita's Manta. The hover bike swerved dangerously, and Rita's scream filled Edmund's head set.  
  
"Rita! Eject! Get out of the bike!"  
  
"My arm, I lost my arm! Oh my go-"  
  
A missile from the hidden enemy Raptor slammed into Rita's hover bike. It exploded in a fiery ball and its wreckage slammed into the cliff wall. Edmund cursed. Now Rita would have to respawn back at Blue Base. There were no more Mantas left and she would have to use a slower vehicle. Edmund had to proceed with the plan without her.  
  
Quickly, Edmund slammed the bike to the left, spitting plasma bolts at the elusive Mandible.  
  
"Aaron, Steven! What's the score with the other guy?!"  
  
"Not too good. Him lots and me none. I bet he's Widowmaker. I've taken some bad hits and my bikes not moving at top speed. I haven't been able to place any hits on..."  
  
"Aaron! Look out!"  
  
"Son of a-. Thanks Steven! That missile nearly took me out! Edmund, we've got to get some air cover!"  
  
Edmund's comm link buzzed. "Rita here. I've respawned, good as new. What's your orders captain?"  
  
"Sud here! I have the rest of the Blood Fists biting huge chunks out of my ass! Contact with two, I repeat, two Goliath tanks! I'm collapsing to Blue Base! I need support!"  
  
"Edmund, this is Steven. I suggest asking Rita to provide our air support!"  
  
"Blue Base is under attack! I'm abandoning my Goliath and moving on to the static defense turret!"  
  
Another missile slammed into the ground behind Edmund. Mandible was already bringing his bike around to Edmund's rear. Widowmaker raced by chased by Aaron and Steven and scored some hits on Edmund's Manta. His heads up display alerted him of a fifty percent armor loss. Alarms blared again warning of yet another impending missile attack.  
  
"Rita here. Sir, what's my orders? Do I provide air support or help Sud with the defenses?"  
  
Thoughts raced through Edmund's head. They had to win. They must win. A good defense is a good offense. A good offense is a good defense.  
  
"Rita! Help Sud out with the defenses! We can handle this on our own!"  
  
"Confirmed."  
  
"Thank god."  
  
"What!? Are you out of your mind? We can handle this on our own? We're getting chewed apart here!"  
  
"I have to agree with Steven captain. We will never be able to drive them off."  
  
"We won't have to. Disengage and head for the power node both of you! Its not far! Go!"  
  
Immediately, Steven and Aaron disengaged from their target. Bringing their bikes around, they accelerated towards the small out post where the power node was situated. Widowmaker saw this and also quickly turned to give chase. Edmund grimaced.  
  
He slammed down on the pedals and the Manta shot forward. At the same time, he squeezed hard on the trigger, firing three salvos of plasma at Mandible. He aimed the Manta at Mandible.  
  
The plasma slammed into the robot's hover bike's engines. Dark smoke belched from the bike. The distance between the two bikes closed. Quickly, Edmund braced himself and jumped off the Manta. Still stuck in full gear, Edmund's vehicle slammed head on into Mandible's. The Mantas crashed, entangled, and broke apart. Mandible died with them.  
  
Edmund quickly picked himself up and readied his Link Gun. Widowmaker smartly raced his hover bike out of Edmund's weapon's effective range, then did a sharp turn, making the bike bear down on Edmund.  
  
"Captain. The power node is ours. Get on my bike, and we'll head for the Power Core!"  
  
Edmund took aim with his weapon at Widowmaker. "Go on ahead. I'll hold them off!"  
  
Edmund barely heard the affirmative over the roaring of the Raptor overhead. He immediately threw himself to the left, crashing into some bushes. The Raptor slammed down into the ground where he stood just a moment ago. The pilot had obviously tried to flatten him. Edmund turned, threw aside his Link Gun, and drew his Shock Rifle. The Raptor's engine screamed in protest as it tried to quickly get back into the air.  
  
Edmund raised the rifle. The turreted dual laser cannon slung underneath the Raptor swiveled at him. Edmund squeezed the trigger.  
  
The powerful shock beam slammed into the side of the craft, just below the cockpit. The hit did nothing more than melt the some armor, but it did knock the craft aside a little. The bolts from the turreted cannon missed wide.  
  
The sound of whirling blades. Edmund turned to see Widowmaker trying to run him down with the hover bike. The Raptor behind Edmund was threatening to get off the ground. He had to tie these two up to buy time for Aaron and Steven. He had to delay and not kill them, or else they'll simply respawn back where his teammates were heading, the Red Base.  
  
Edmund fired wildly with his shock rifle, taking care to hit the hover bikes hover blades. Success! The blades snapped, rendering the bike out of control. He saw Widowmaker struggle with the bike, and then jump out, abandoning it. Edmund turned again to face the Raptor. It was almost of the ground. Screaming in desperation, Edmund flung himself at it. Left had clutching the AMSD Shock Rifle, Edmund grabbed hold frantically of the Raptor's wing.  
  
Grunting in pain of his twisted position, Edmund tried to aim the rifle at the Raptor's engines. Meanwhile, the craft rose steadily into the air. Twenty feet, fifty, hundred, two hundred, five hundred, one thousand. It turned to give chase to Aaron and Steven. Edmund realized it was trying to gain a missile lock on their Mantas! And his impossible position was not allowing him to bear the rifle towards the engines.  
  
Edmund's hand bled and threatened to lose his grip on the Raptor. His feet failed to find purchase on the craft's sleek metal hull.  
  
Nothing left to it. I have to stop him from firing those missiles.  
  
Edmund let go and abandoned himself to gravity. The ground rushed towards him. The air whipped about him. Edmund fired his shock rifle where he thought the engines of the Raptor would be. The rifle bucked once, twice, thrice. He kept his finger on the trigger. And was rewarded with a satisfying explosion. Then Edmund hit the ground at more than five hundred miles per hour. This time, even his heavy armor did not save him. 


	19. Onslaught iv

CHAPTER 17: ONSLAUGHT (iv)  
  
Sud was thrown about in the control seat. The plexi glass of the turret cracked. Grunting, he clutched the controls tightly with his two hands. And stared out.  
  
There were figures moving out on the plains, moving towards Blue Base. One was a huge shadow, and Sud knew it was the Goliath heavy tank. Others would be the Blood Fist infantry. Things were not looking well. They had to finish the tournament now, and get Lee to a medical unit.  
  
Sud aimed the turret at the tank. The turret was like a bubble, with two huge shock cannons at either side. The operator would sit within the bubble and control the guns. The base turret had a three hundred sixty degree view of the battle field. Being on top of the base walls, Sud could see way beyond the horizon of arriving enemy units. The only weakness the turret had was it could not shoot straight down.  
  
And that was exactly where one of the bloody robots was hiding. Sud heard a loud clanking, like something knocking on the plexi glass of the turret. Sud looked down. Three red glowing balls were sticking to the turret. Grenades.  
  
Cursing, Edmund quickly exited the turret. The grenades and the turret exploded.  
  
Sud quickly opened the comm link. "Rita! Turret four is down! I'm heading towards Turret Five! Can you provide cover while I get there?"  
  
"Yes. I'm in Turret Two. Taking heavy damage but I think I can hold for a while."  
  
Sud quickly readied himself, then dashed across the walls of the base towards the next turret. Immediately, the air around him was filled with bullets and bolts as the robots tried taking pot shots at him. Sud ran for all he was worth.  
  
A round of bullets slammed into Sud's side. The armor absorbed the damage, but Sud felt at least on bullet pierce him body. Sud screamed in agony.  
  
"Rita! Where's my god damned cover fire!?"  
  
"Just run you moron. I'm giving them all I've got!"  
  
Sud jumped into Turret Five and slammed the door shut. With practiced precision, he toggled the system online and charged up the shock cannons. Putting on his helmet and grabbing each control stick with a hand, Sud targeted the tank.  
  
"Rita! Combine fire on the tank!"  
  
"But then the infantry will slip in the base!"  
  
"We have to take that chance! The tank will chew our entire base defense to bits!"  
"I'll take care of the infantry."  
  
"Edmund?"  
  
"You!? What are you doing here? I thought you were off with Aaron and Steven?"  
  
"Yes Sud. But the fact is I'm now here. Take down the tank and I'll deal with any intruders."  
  
"I copy that."  
  
Sud squeezed both triggers. The shock cannons bucked and shook as it unleashed mega joules of energy into the tank. In her own turret, Rita added her fire power to Suds. Unable to take the punishment, the tank shook, then exploded as the shock beams breached the armor and touched off the ammunition.  
  
Renegade and Thorax had taken the opportunity to slip into Blue Base. From behind some crates, Edmund took aim with his minigun. The robots had not seen him. Edmund smiled. So much the better.  
  
Edmund opened fire on full auto. The robots each dodged in a different direction and the rounds missed them both. Edmund cursed and decided to track Renegade. Edmund turned trying to follow the fleeting shadow that was Renegade.  
  
Rounds from the minigun stitched a trail of destruction on the reinforced walls but failed to catch the robot. Something swept Edmund off his feet, then knocked him down hard. The minigun flew from his grip. Edmund turned around spitting dirt and dust.  
  
Thorax's gauntleted fists were raised. Edmund rolled aside just as the fist came down. The punishing blow that was meant for his head instead smashed into the ground, leaving a cracked cement floor. Edmund lashed out with his leg. Thorax grabbed his ankle and swung him into the opposite wall. Edmund collapsed beside his minigun, leaving behind a shattered wall. Edmund groaned in pain. Thorax took a step forward to deal the killing blow.  
  
"Edmund! This is Aaron. We are in the enemy base! We are planting explosives at the Power Core now. Give us five minutes."  
  
This ends now! Edmund pushed himself up, minigun primed and ready. "Come on Thorax. Let's dance."  
  
"Human bravado. Foolishness."  
  
Edmund whirled around, swinging the minigun as hard as possible. The gun smashed into Renegade's torso, driving him backwards and into the wall where he had just been thrown into. His strength, being augmented by his armor, was able to throw knock Renegade through the wall. Plaster and brick buried Renegade waist deep. Edmund thrust the minigun into Renegade's face. "Human bravado this!"  
  
Something hard struck Edmund at the shin, sweeping him off his feet. Edmund landed hard on his shoulder. Something snapped and Edmund screamed. He clutched his shoulder painfully. Thorax picked up the mini gun. Renegade held out a palm as he picked himself up from the rubble.  
  
"Do not kill him."  
  
Thorax nodded. He shifted his aim quickly before Edmund could react. Armor piercing bullets cut through Edmund's left knee. Pain lanced up his leg. Armor as well as blood flew into the air. Edmund screamed. Thorax released the trigger. Edmund clutched his almost severed leg.  
  
Thorax shifted his aim to the other knee.  
  
High Templar Soun Rill. I need you most now. I need your help. Fear coursed through Edmund's mind. He had heard of the more brutal tournament matches. You retain the condition of your body when you leave the tournament. If the game ends before Edmund can somehow respawn and become whole once again, he would definitely lose his legs. High Templar! Help me!  
  
I will help you, Edmund.  
  
Edmund's heart exploded. His lifeless body slumped.  
  
"Fool! I said not to kill him!" Renegade screamed at his teammate.  
  
Thorax looked bewildered, if a robot could ever look bewildered. "I did not kill him."  
  
Edmund respawned on a platform next to his team's Power Core overlooking the two robots position, good as new. He raised the only weapon he currently had. An assault rifle. At the same time, Thorax and Renegade detected Edmund's presence. Renegade drew a Redeemer atomic missile launcher.  
  
No. We've lost.  
  
In desperation, Edmund squeezed hard on the assault rifle on full auto. From so far a distance, Edmund's shots were easily dodged by the robots. The atomic missile was launched at Edmund and the Power Core behind him. There was only one way to salvage this. Destroy the incoming missile. Edmund shifted his aim to the incoming projectile of death. Shot, and missed. Shot, and missed. Come on damn you! Come on!  
  
"Your species is inferior," came the robotic voice of Renegade.  
  
Edmund continued shooting. The missile flew over his head, straight at the Power Core. 


	20. Price of Victory

CHAPTER 18: PRICE OF VICTORY  
  
Edmund shook his head to recover from the dizziness. The roar of the spectators was deafening. Edmund looked up uncomprehendingly at the people all around him. What had happened? Someone was shouting loudly, and Edmund strained to hear the words amid the cheers and shouts.  
  
"...and in a fantastic display of strategy and courage, the Truthsayers have amazingly won the match against the defending champions of last year, the Bloodfist! In the nick of time, Aaron and Steven destroyed the Bloodfist's Powercore! The crowd is going wild! I don't know if its skill these guys have, or just plain dumb luck! Which ever it is, they have a bagful of it! But what about Lee, he doesn't seem too good. He's down and not getting up..."  
  
Lee!  
  
Edmund whirled around to see his old friend in the arms of Sud. Sud was shaking his shoulders. Lee's face was frighteningly pale. A ripple of fear washed through Edmund. Edmund threw himself at Lee's side and quickly took his hand.  
  
"Lee! Lee! Wake up!"  
  
Sud looked up, and Edmund saw that his cheeks were wet with tears. "He's not breathing Edmund! He's not breathing!"  
  
Edmund strained as he screamed to be heard over the roaring crowd. "Come on Lee! Pull through it!" His grip on his friend's hand tightened. Edmund refused to believe that his friend was gone. He sprang up.  
  
"Medic! Medic! Get a medic over here!"  
  
Rita looked sadly at Edmund, but did nothing.  
  
"What the hell are you looking at?! Get a medic unit here!" Tears now began pooling at Edmund's eyes. Edmund looked around to his other team mates. Aaron and Steven were doing their best to avoid Edmund's eyes.  
  
"What are you doing!" he screamed. "He's not dead! He is NOT dead!"  
  
"Shut up! Shut the hell up Edmund!"  
  
Edmund turned. Sud's fist connected hard at Edmund's side. Augmented by the suit's strength, Edmund flew backwards and into the crowds. The crowd pushed him back and cheered some more, anticipating a fight.  
  
Sud made ready to lunge again, but Steven and Aaron quickly jumped and held him back. Sud trashed and kicked, but was no match for the strength of both the men. He spat and cursed ineffectually. Edmund wiped blood from his lips.  
  
"You killed him! You killed him, you stinking bastard!"  
  
The accusation hurt Edmund more than the punch in the side he had received. Edmund closed his eyes, trying his best not to hear what Sud was saying. "You killed him! You are the cause of his death! Murderer!"  
  
Edmund felt his heart sink. Edmund knew it was true. There, in the middle of over a thousand spectators and live on air, Edmund wept.  
  
Up at the special VIP box, Stacie Liandri watched with a delighted expression. "I can see it now, brave Truthsayer warrior killed in the tournament. That should increase their popularity." Stacie giggled girlishly. "And that should really boost our ratings."  
  
The silver door slid open with a hiss, and a soldier dressed in clean white battle armor stepped in. Her hair was braided and tied in a pony tail. She had the perfect figure, the type of girl you'd want to bring home to show your mom. But her eyes revealed her coldness and madness. She was a Liandri Angel, one of the pure women military units serving the Liandri Corporation. The Liandri Angels were feared for the high success rates in their mission.  
  
The soldier woman saluted smartly. Stacie Liandri nodded.  
  
"My lady. We have found out the identity of the intruders that breached our Core sector. We have visual proof with the hidden security cameras in place."  
  
Stacie smiled and waved her on, her attention still at the scene below where the medics were now trying their best but in vain to revive the fallen warrior. The Blood Fists watched the scene impassively. "Well? Who is it? Get rid of them. You know the drill."  
  
The soldier was uncertain. "Erm, ah. My lady, the intruders are the Truthsayers."  
  
Immediately, Stacie turned to focus her attention on the now fidgeting soldier. "The Truthsayers?"  
  
"Yes my lady."  
  
Stacie was somehow not really that surprised. Edmund was a man who was famous for going against protocol. Pity. He would have gone far with her help, but now he had done something stupid by breaching the Liandri laboratories. Who knew what this man had learnt from his exploits. Stacie could not take any chances with him.  
  
"Dispose of him. Find a way to get rid of him without raising too many questions from the public. You know how to do it."  
  
"But my lady, would not Axon Corporation intervene?"  
  
Stacie laughed. "Life here in the tournaments is cheap." She smiled cruelly. "People die every time during the games. Like that man over there." She pointed at Lee.  
  
"Kill them all."  
  
The Liandri Angel saluted once more preceded to the door. As she exited, another man, dressed in a lab coat stepped in. He clutched a file to his chest preciously. His eyes darted left and right nervously.  
  
Stacie nodded to him, waited for the Liandri Angel to pass out of ear shot, and then addressed the man. "What is it? You look as if you've just seen a ghost."  
  
The man looked at Stacie. He handed the file to Stacie and drew back. "I think you should take a look at these. These reports came out just this morning as we inspected the Core for any damage when those critters attacked."  
  
Stacie's eyes narrowed into slits. "I trust there's nothing wrong with the Core?" Her voice was low and menacing, suggesting to the man he'd probably die if there were.  
  
The man noticed it too. He gestured nervously to the file. "Maybe you should read it yourself."  
  
Stacie frowned and opened the file. She took out the papers and quickly flipped through them, then suddenly stopping at one page. Stacie was not happy with what she was seeing.  
  
"How can this be?" she mouthed to herself as she continued reading its contents. The man thought he was being addressed. "Erm, perhaps its some sort of virus my Lady, which developed a personality over time and..."  
  
Stacie flung the papers angrily at him. Papers flew around. "Over time? OVER TIME? And you tell me your people only found out about it now?!"  
  
The man panicked. "Yes, I mean no. I mean, we've suspected that there was something wrong with the Core, but...My lady, surely even you have heard rumors about spirit living within the Core itself, calling itself the High Templar of the Neulor Empire..."  
  
Stacie did not like this. "Are you saying there's a ghost? There is no such thing as the Neulor or the Nemri and High Templars! It is a virus! Kill it! Develop a new virus to destroy this one! I will not have anything or anyone stop my tournaments!"  
  
Seething with rage, Stacie turned back to the viewing window. "You've got a week to deal with this...situation." Her tone implied or else...  
  
The man quickly bowed and retreated out the door. As he did so, he felt that the Liandri Director knew more than she was actually revealing. He never told her about the reports about the Nemri. How'd she know that? He would make the virus for the lady, but just in case he failed, he made a mental note to have a transport off the planet ready as soon as possible. 


	21. The Storm Approaches

**CHAPTER 19: THE STORM APPROACHES**

Lieutenant Natasha of the Liandri Angels had been ordered by the Lady herself to see to it that the Truthsayers were made extinct, and she would see it done or die trying. It was such a pity though, for the Truthsayers were promising material for the tournaments. They were already a big hit. They should have minded their own business instead of breaking into the Liandri laboratories. There was a high possibility that the Truthsayers had found out about the various illegal experiments and weapons development the Liandri were conducting. Who were they working for, Natasha pondered.

The Axon Corporation? Maybe. Despite the treaties and collaboration between the Liandri and Axon, they were still after all, competitors in weapons developing. Maybe Edmund was sent in as a spy to steal weapons technology from the Liandri? If that was true, Lieutenant Natasha had to admit that Edmund was the most inept spy she had ever seen. Spies used stealth, not force when they wanted to infiltrate an enemy's base.

Or maybe it was the Emperor, with his dreaded Vigilance Force? There were already many of them here, Lieutenant Natasha had herself killed nearly six. If the Emperor managed to get proof of the illegal experiments the Liandri conducted, he could easily confiscate the Liandri's assets.

Well, whoever Edmund was spying for, it hardly mattered. He couldn't really inscribe it on his tomb stone. If there was anything left to bury when the Liandri were done with him.

Natasha studied the screen attentively, thinking of her next course of action. Alone in the Unreal Tournament match organization room, she was left to her devices. The screen contained various names of Unreal teams, with numbers beside each one. Rankings. The top four of the highest ranking team would enter the semi finals. Every time a team won a match, their ratings would increase by a certain percent.

She searched for the Truthsayers, and found it. They were ranked 2056. They were in fifth position. She quickly selected the team's folder and clicked it. A list of the matched they had fought and won came on screen. Impressive. The Truthsayers had certainly proven themselves to be one of the best and showed a lot of potential. Nevertheless, Natasha had a job to do.

She searched for the Truthsayers next match, and found it. Invasion. Invasion  
In this game type, participants band together to defend against 5 waves of incoming monsters and creatures, including Skaarj Zealots and Warlords. Participants cannot respawn if they die during a wave, but as long as one player makes it to the end of a wave alive; everyone respawns for the next wave.

Points would be awarded according to how many waves the team manages to beat back before they are overwhelmed. So far, the record was three waves, by the teams Thunder Crash and The Corrupt, both led by Malcolm and Xan Kriegor respectively.

A sinister smile crept unto the face of Lieutenant Natasha. Perfect, she thought. The Invasion match would be the perfect place to arrange an accident. Scrolling down the screen, she quickly entered the company's password. The screen immediately glowed red, and an alert popped up. It read,

"Doing so would switch off all respawning in the Invasion match. Fallen participants in the match would not be able to be revived. Are you sure you wish to do this?"

_ Yes, I am. _Natasha then switched off the terminal. Her job was done. The Truthsayers could be considered dead. The now five man team would walk proudly into the arena, but none of them would return...

Arthur was still mulling over his last conversation with the Lady Stacie Liandri.

He felt that the lady was hiding something dark and secretive from him. Perhaps this Soun Rill was really a myth, a practical joke of someone with high powers within the Liandri? If so, then why was she so concerned about the information from leaking out? After all, rumors were rumors, and if it held no strong evidence, it would not affect the corporation.

Or would it? What if indeed there was evidence to the existence of such a creature? Arthur's eyebrows went up. If so, then _what _was it?

Was it the unreal core program gone renegade? After all, the Core was still an ancient alien artifact. Who knew exactly how old it was? Could it have developed a personality during its eons of seclusion? It was possible, Arthur knew, for it had happened before. Xan Kriegor was a fine example. If so, then was the High Templar business a veil of lies the renegade program had created? Just like a human, a computer program with a personality could psyche itself into believing something.

No, it could not be. Stacie seemed to have long known about this problem. She could have easily reformatted the entire Unreal system and reboot it, thus destroying the personality the program had developed. So a program gaining independent thinking was out of the question.

That only left one fact. High Templar Soun Rill was real.

Arthur could not help but shudder at the thought he was dealing with a ghost from the ancient past. But it did not matter.

She had commanded him to create a virus to destroy the so called High Templar Soun Rill. How he would do it, he had absolutely no idea. All he knew was that he had to find a way soon, or Lady Liandri would probably feed him to the dogs. He had heard rumors of what happened to Liandri personnel who had failed her.

First things first, Arthur reached for his personal communication device or PCD in short. He waited for the other end to answer. There was a burst of static then a gruff voice came online. "What do you want?" It came out was "Whaddaya want?"

"A quick transport out of the planet as soon as possible."Arthur needed the transport ready in case the virus, if he was able to develop it, went wrong. The Unreal Tournament Semi Finals were already coming up within the week and the finals the next. The Liandri would be busy, and that would be the best time to make his run.

"It will cost you.... Exactly Three million Imperiums."

"WHAT?? That's day light robbery!"

"Get your own transport then."

"Alright, alright. Let's not be hasty friend."

The bargaining began.

High up in the orbit of New Earth, ten huge warships exited hyperspace in the cover of the planet's moon's shadow. Bristling with heavy weaponry capable of blasting the planet to molten rock a thousand times over, the ships remained hidden from prying sensors and scouts. Inside each of the warships, hundreds of troop transport ships waited to be launched. Each troopship could carry a thousand soldiers.

The entire fleet then shut down their conventional drive systems and switched to passive sensors. They were now completely invisible. Their weapons were aimed at the planet. Their troops were itching for battle. They were all built for one purpose only...... xenocide.

The Kulgans had arrived.


	22. author's note

Author's note :Sorry people. Just want to apologize for the apparent stalling of the story. I'm currently sitting for a very important examination and have not had time to write. However, I do promise that I WILL continue after my examinations. I assure you that the story WILL go on. Thank you.


	23. Ghosts from the Past

**Did pretty well in one of my test papers.Decided to reward myself and the Unreal fans with another chapter! Enjoy! Read and review please! : )  
**

**  
**

**  
CHAPTER 20: GHOSTS FROM THE PAST**

Even from within the secured helmet he wore, he could still hear the deafening roar outside. His metallic boots newly shined and painted, Edmund, together with his four other team members, stepped up to the teleportation platform. Steven waved his hand excitedly and threw flying kisses at the ladies who were screaming for his autograph. Edmund thought he saw a few faint. Aaron and Rita were also waving at their fans. A slight commotion at the far left of the stadium made him glance there. A huge group of about a few hundred women was waving banners that read 'We love you Edmund!' Edmund could not help but smile a little. The Truthsayers had come so far in the tournaments. He could get used to this.

The announcer's voice rang out loudly, trying to match the roar of the crowd. "The stadium is full today ladies and gentlemen, but more are trying to push their way in as the highly anticipated match will commence shortly! The Truthsayers, will be taking part in the Invasion!" The cheering of the crowd reached to a feverish level.

"Incredibly difficult, the Invasion, which only the elite can take part in for the sheer difficulty of the match, will be attempted by Edmund and his team, with a target of five waves!!"

The entire stadium virtually erupted when they were told that their idol would be attempting to defeat Malcolm's and Xan Kriegor's record.

"For those who do not know what the Invasion match is, the Truthsayers would be sent to a very defensible position to repel a maximum of four waves of monsters, with each wave getting more NUMEROUS and POWERFUL! At least on member must survive a wave for the whole team to be respawned and proceed to the next wave! And now, ladies and gentlemen, the random map generator is running...." The was a sudden silence of anticipation from the audience. Even the Truthsayers were silent as they listened for their destination. "...the place where this match will happen is...the city of ALPHA OMEGA!!"

The crowd roared and cheered again. Edmund could not believe he was hearing. Steven's voice came over the communication link. "Hah, that doesn't sound so bad." He laughed. Rita and Aaron agreed. Edmund fought to keep himself from shaking. Sud was furious. "The bastards! It's a bloody set up! They know!" Rita, Steven and Aaron immediately asked Sud what was going on. Edmund's mind was already recollecting the event that had ruined his career...Voices from the past returned to him...

_Case IA 260787. Edmund Ross. You and your team of marines are accused of insubordination. On the third of January, you and your men were ordered to protect the civilians at the monorail station in the city Alpha Omega..._

_"George! Behind you!"_

"_Aaarrrggghhhh..."_

"_Man down, man down-"_

"_Frag him! Frag that bastard!"_

_"More Izarians coming down Path B and C. They don't look too happy."_

"_Shoot at those bastards at Path B and try to slow them down for god's sake!"_

_"Oh god. I'm shooting, I'm shooting sir, but they ain't stopping!"_

_"Captain! Help meeeeeee!"_

_Captain...captain..._

"CAPTAIN!" Rita's sharp voice snapped him out of his reverie. She was shaking him roughly, her two hands gripping both his shoulders. "Captain...It's allright..." Only then did Edmund realized there were silent tears streaming down his cheeks. Sud's voice rang in his head. "Leave him Rita, the bastard's feeling guilty. Eh, Captain?" Rita turned to him, fist clenched. Edmund's own shot out and caught her wrist. He shook his head, then nodded to the roaring fans. Rita let out an acquiescent sigh.

"...and here come the Teleporters ladies and gentlemen. Lay down your bets...!"

Edmund steadied himself.

"AND THERE THEY GO!!!!"

The warping field surrounded him with a nimbus of light. All of sudden, Edmund found himself lost in a empty darkness with a familiar presence in his mind. The only difference was, Edmund was no longer afraid.

_Edmund..._

"I hear you High Templar."

_A matter of grave importance has come to my attention. The Kulgans have arrived and are currently hiding in the shadow of your planet's moon. They have arrived with a great fleet. Bigger than any I have ever seen._

"What? Already?"

_Yes. They are here. They now await for the tournament finals to be over and then they'll send their five of their best champions to battle you. I cannot stress how important it is now, that you emerge as champion in the tournaments, and ultimately defeat the Kulgans. If you fail to succeed, it would spell the end for your entire race._

"Why don't we just warn the New Earth Government? The NEGs, the Axons, the Izanagi, the Liandri, surely they would be enough to send the Kulgans packing?"

_It is not. Even if your government was not torn by petty rivalry as it is now, it would not have the strength or means to repel the Kulgans. Their fleet has grown more than three times bigger when they first invaded my home. They have enough troops on their ships to take every single colony world your race has. Or, if they prefer, they can bombard it from orbit with plasma and leave behind a molten rock. That I fear, is the fate of this planet, should you fail._

"Then I must not."

_You must not...You must win this Invasion match Edmund. It will immediately put you in the semi finals. The first wave approaches. Good luck warrior._

Edmund and the rest of the Truthsayers exited the teleportation field in the ghost town of Alpha Omega. Most of the city were nothing more than ruins now, empty, but for the ghosts of the past.

Steven looked around bewildered. "I've never been here before. Where the hell are we?"

Aaron gestured happily at the pile of stacked weapons. "In heaven as far as I'm concerned."

Rita, Steven, Aaron and Sud began to pick up their weapons and load up with as much ammo as they could. Edmund took in their surroundings. They were in a huge building, a military installation of some kind. Then he saw the half peeled of but recognizable poster on the wall. The TCA marines.

"This was our last operation theatre...before we were forced to abandon the city to the Skaarj."

Steven was laughing. "Their loss, our gain. They left quite a bit of arsenal behind here. Some of these weapons are military grade, stuff you don't see in the tournaments! Here, catch!" Steven tossed to each one a vibrasword, a special blade that vibrated when activated, and could cut through armor as if it were soft butter.

Sud was hefting his old flame thrower. "It's good to be holding something familiar and trustworthy." Edmund ignored Sud's obvious insult and pretended he didn't care.

Aaron was loading up on as much supplies as possible. He too, held a flame thrower identical to Sud's. He tucked a Dispersion Pistol in his holster, and slung a military grade M32 Duster Combat Assault Rifle on his shoulder. Rita held a powerful sniper rifle and tucked some ammo into her back pack. Holstered at her hip was a military Magnum Pistol.

"I'm just taking a M32 Duster and a dispersion pistol...and lots and lots of ammo." Steven muttered as he greedily stuffed all compartments of his suit with clips of ammo. Edmund decided to follow Steven's example, selected a few grenades, and picked up a Spider Mine Launcher. The Mines would when launched would lie still on the ground, but the moment its sophisticated sensor array detects an enemy presence, it would pick itself up, scurry to the enemy and explode. "We'll be needing this." Edmund muttered.

He turned to his teammates. "Let's get out of here. Into the city itself."

Aaron could not hide the astonishment in his voice. "But why? This place is easily defended and all the weapons we need are here. Why into the city?"

"Because it's the first mistake every team that took part in the Invasion events did. Defending a stationary position gives the enemy a chance to encircle you and cut of any means of retreat. They can also take their time and plan their attack. We're not going to give them that opportunity. We remain a moving target."

Steven nodded. "Let's go then."

The team jogged out of the base, weapons drawn. Rita nodded to the incoming disorganized wave of Izarians and critters. "Looks like the party has started."

Edmund nodded. "Remember, we fight our way into the city, and take advantage of the alleys and buildings." The Truthsayers brought their weapons up to their shoulders, then, like the knights of old, charged the wall of alien flesh.


End file.
